Thursday, March 5, 2015

one little word 2015 :: GRATEFUL


I did it! I just signed up for Ali Edwards' One Little Word workshop.

I took part in it back in 2014 and loved it, but this year I was going to stop shopping online as we were trying to save money.

However, we paid off our debt much sooner than expected, and the first thing I thought of was this OLW class. I know, two months passed and we're already half into the third one, but I really believe it's not too late to jump in.

I actually chose my word in November 2014 while reading this post by Ali Edwards (yes, this name appears on this blog much too often, but, well, Ali is my mentor; no, she doesn't know about it yet).

It resonated with me from the very start. I remember reading these words -- 

...the key, I think, is to practice savoring moments and being grateful both when you're in the mess and when you're not in the mess. Do it when it's hard. Do it when it's easy. That's what makes it a practice... 

--  and thinking: "Gratitude! I now know my word for the next year". 

I loved the idea of such a practice. I, too, want to be the person who, even in the middle of all the crazy, can take a deep breath and be thankful. 

I started the year writing out my intentions and trying to live my word instead of making an album devoted to it entirely. I thought that I'd be just fine all by myself, and that a little journal to jot my thoughts down would be more than enough.

It wasn't. In my mind, I kept wishing I was there with all the guys from the class. There is something about having a community of people on a journey together, although I was never posting anything on Facebook, just reading. I also missed Ali's monthly videos.

There is this other thing, too -- I realized that there's actually a point in making an album. I first thought it was a bit too much. It took me ages to finish every prompt, I literally spent hours looking for the right photos to illustrate my ideas and to edit my texts. I thought it wasn't worth all the trouble (as I was doing in just for me, not for anyone else to look at), that I could just live with my word and write how I'm doing in a journal.

However, this year, after looking through my 2014 album I actually felt great. So inspired and thankful! It's worth every minute spent working on it, every bit of effort I invested in it, because it really makes a difference. I was looking through it and felt all sorts of feelings. It really makes my word more tangible, it really resonates with me, touches my deepest feelings. I learned so much about myself and my life, I actually changed enough to start a blog and keep it going, to overcome my perfectionism and JUST DO instead of thinking and planning and gathering and then almost doing what I was going to do. I learned that a thing done imperfectly is way better than a thing that could have been done perfectly, but wasn't done at all.

I'm so happy I'm now in! Downloaded the prompts, watched the videos and started doing all of them at once. January and March already finished (sharing tomorrow if the light is good enough to photograph), and the magazine for the February prompt is already bought.

Have any of you guys taken up this class a few times, too? Have you missed it if you skipped a year? I'd love to know!








1 comment:

  1. Great post Katerina!
    I've had a OLW in the past but not this year.
    I really like the concept and might do it again but this year I really want to stay on top of my 2 PLs and felt that having another album going would have been too much for me.
    I can't wait to discover your prompts!

    Have a beautiful week-end!

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