2014 | Extraordinary
started January 25th... finally finding the right flow and posting today.
In the past, I have chosen a single word to focus on during the year. A word to think about and ponder. A word to help me grow and improve. CHOOSE and ACT were my first words and I had a lot of success with them. Last year, my word was LOVE, but I didn't really make it past January. I thought I would just revisit LOVE for 2014, but I have felt pulled a different direction.
I started this year reading The Night Circus. If you read my review, you know I loved this book with its pages full of whimsy, enchantment and magic. It is common for me to finish a book and feel like my life is very blah and this book was no exception. BUT- I also began the year re-reading The Happiness Project, which had me thinking about what makes me happy and what makes me unhappy. That led to this discovery-
The Night Circus was full of amazing and miraculous encounters, but the story takes place over 30 years. Even with their magic, Celia and Marco had to make it through the every day activities of running a circus and caring for those around them. They had to be patient, diligent and they had to sacrifice as they worked toward being together. What could come in my life if I was diligent and patient? If I sacrificed more? AND- if I took out the daily activities, would I find that MY life is enchanting and extraordinary?
I don't want to ignore the day to day. I want to learn to appreciate that too. But I am often blind to the magical moments in my life because they are blurred by daily duties. For example-
Soren came into the kitchen one night while I was making dinner. He had a fancy pair of 'Beats' headphones that he had borrowed from a friend. "Mom- you gotta listen to these," he said. He put the Beats on my head and let me flip through his music. I found a song I knew from my teenage years and with all other sounds blocked by the headphones, I started to dance around. Soren and Megan had a good laugh as I jammed in the kitchen. Then they grabbed my phone to put my photo on Instagram which increased their laughter. When I discovered what they were doing, I started to laugh too. This led to unplugging the headphones and all dancing around the kitchen. Then Soren's warm up song for football came on which led to exercising around the counter and finally to a sit-up contest in the living room. The contest was ended by the oven timer and we quickly fell back into the routine of dinner and commitments. The whole encounter only lasted about 10 minutes and was almost swallowed up by the daily activities of cooking, cleaning and running around. Yet, writing it here- I feel the joy all over again. It was a fun, even magical moment with my teenagers!
Another obstacle to seeing the magic in my life is unrealistic expectations which often distort the magical moments and make them seem ordinary. For example- was book club as elaborate as the Midnight Dinner in The Night Circus. No. There were no spheres of blown sugar or flickering candles illuminating the room or charming and handsome assistants... But- was the feeling equal? Yes! A delicious meal, at the home of a generous and welcoming host, shared with friends who laughed together and love each other... Touches of whimsy in the place settings, the backdrop, the attire and the choice of food... We had so much fun that we all stayed later than usual. If I had a gift for writing, I could make book club sound as magical as a Midnight Dinner at Chandresh's home. And for another wonderful moment, my life was extraordinary.
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After 500 pages of enchanting and marvelous images, I read this paragraph in The Night Circus:
"Magic," the man in the grey suit repeats, turning the word into a laugh. "This is not magic. This is the way the world is, only very few people take the time to stop and note it. Look around you," he says, waving a hand at the surrounding tables. "Not a one of them even has an inkling of the things that are possible in this world, and what's worse is that none of them would listen if you attempted to enlighten them. They want to believe that magic is nothing but clever deception, because to think it real would keep them up at night, afraid of their own existence."
I bristled when I read this. The man in gray just said that what I had considered to be magical and impossible was the way the world really is! I just need to believe that it is available to me and take the time to look for it. That is exactly what I hope to do in 2014.
So, why isn't my word for the year "MAGIC?" The man in gray says that magic is the deception, when wonderful things are reality. I wanted a word that helped me to see past the deception and embrace my wonderful life. Because I describe my life as plain and ordinary, I chose to change my focus and look in 2014 for the
In the past, I have chosen a single word to focus on during the year. A word to think about and ponder. A word to help me grow and improve. CHOOSE and ACT were my first words and I had a lot of success with them. Last year, my word was LOVE, but I didn't really make it past January. I thought I would just revisit LOVE for 2014, but I have felt pulled a different direction.
I started this year reading The Night Circus. If you read my review, you know I loved this book with its pages full of whimsy, enchantment and magic. It is common for me to finish a book and feel like my life is very blah and this book was no exception. BUT- I also began the year re-reading The Happiness Project, which had me thinking about what makes me happy and what makes me unhappy. That led to this discovery-
The Night Circus was full of amazing and miraculous encounters, but the story takes place over 30 years. Even with their magic, Celia and Marco had to make it through the every day activities of running a circus and caring for those around them. They had to be patient, diligent and they had to sacrifice as they worked toward being together. What could come in my life if I was diligent and patient? If I sacrificed more? AND- if I took out the daily activities, would I find that MY life is enchanting and extraordinary?
I don't want to ignore the day to day. I want to learn to appreciate that too. But I am often blind to the magical moments in my life because they are blurred by daily duties. For example-
Soren came into the kitchen one night while I was making dinner. He had a fancy pair of 'Beats' headphones that he had borrowed from a friend. "Mom- you gotta listen to these," he said. He put the Beats on my head and let me flip through his music. I found a song I knew from my teenage years and with all other sounds blocked by the headphones, I started to dance around. Soren and Megan had a good laugh as I jammed in the kitchen. Then they grabbed my phone to put my photo on Instagram which increased their laughter. When I discovered what they were doing, I started to laugh too. This led to unplugging the headphones and all dancing around the kitchen. Then Soren's warm up song for football came on which led to exercising around the counter and finally to a sit-up contest in the living room. The contest was ended by the oven timer and we quickly fell back into the routine of dinner and commitments. The whole encounter only lasted about 10 minutes and was almost swallowed up by the daily activities of cooking, cleaning and running around. Yet, writing it here- I feel the joy all over again. It was a fun, even magical moment with my teenagers!
Another obstacle to seeing the magic in my life is unrealistic expectations which often distort the magical moments and make them seem ordinary. For example- was book club as elaborate as the Midnight Dinner in The Night Circus. No. There were no spheres of blown sugar or flickering candles illuminating the room or charming and handsome assistants... But- was the feeling equal? Yes! A delicious meal, at the home of a generous and welcoming host, shared with friends who laughed together and love each other... Touches of whimsy in the place settings, the backdrop, the attire and the choice of food... We had so much fun that we all stayed later than usual. If I had a gift for writing, I could make book club sound as magical as a Midnight Dinner at Chandresh's home. And for another wonderful moment, my life was extraordinary.
After 500 pages of enchanting and marvelous images, I read this paragraph in The Night Circus:
"Magic," the man in the grey suit repeats, turning the word into a laugh. "This is not magic. This is the way the world is, only very few people take the time to stop and note it. Look around you," he says, waving a hand at the surrounding tables. "Not a one of them even has an inkling of the things that are possible in this world, and what's worse is that none of them would listen if you attempted to enlighten them. They want to believe that magic is nothing but clever deception, because to think it real would keep them up at night, afraid of their own existence."
I bristled when I read this. The man in gray just said that what I had considered to be magical and impossible was the way the world really is! I just need to believe that it is available to me and take the time to look for it. That is exactly what I hope to do in 2014.
So, why isn't my word for the year "MAGIC?" The man in gray says that magic is the deception, when wonderful things are reality. I wanted a word that helped me to see past the deception and embrace my wonderful life. Because I describe my life as plain and ordinary, I chose to change my focus and look in 2014 for the
E X T R A O R D I N A R Y .
posted by jenn | 4/03/2014
3 Comments:
I love it! It's PERFECT.
I like your word choice for this year. And, I guess I need to go read The Night Circus.
Obviously I need to finish the book. What great insights and lessons you got from such a whimsical book. I'll look more often for those "magical" moments too.
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