At any given moment, I have a pile of partially read and unread books and magazines sitting on my bedside nightstand. I typically choose a book or two around a theme that I want to explore more fully and eventually write about and to distill into a pithy 140 character or less soundbite for posting on my wall as motivational art. These quotes end up displayed on our kitchen counter for a week.
When cubes was in the hospital, I began posting weekly maxims for me to ponder with magnetic letters on a silver-platted serving tray in our kitchen. (An evolution of 2012's Sunday Scrambles for Gates Flickr series.) It started out as a way to express creatively how I was feeling: just add coffee and shaken not stirred to infuse a serious situation with a little humor.
cubes spent many a waking hour connecting to the world outside the hospital via social media; he began commenting on the maxims I was sharing on Instagram. Looking for subjects other than health or work, when I visited, we also began discussing some of the maxims, most memorably: "Fake it 'til you make it" and "One day at a time--" A new ritual as born.
Now that cubes has returned from the hospital, I still post weekly maxims that we discuss over the course of the week.
How does your family set intentions?
Is it a weekly ritual?
Is it a weekly ritual?
I've been a big believer that life cannot be scripted since before cubes and I were married. Recently, I started thinking about intention and whether intentions guide or direct a person; the difference between an unscripted life versus a scripted life. The musings for 2014 will be exploring this in more detail.
Top Five #MondayMaxim Instagram Photos for 2013
Your top five Instagram favorites were:- Life does not just happen (link to Instagram photo).
- Simply change your life (link to Instagram photo).
- Act to make change happen (link to Instagram photo).
- No is a power word (link to Instagram photo).
- Life cannot be planned (link to Instagram photo).
The weekly maxims are frequently distilled quotes from videos I'd seen, books or posts I'd read, conferences I've attended, song lyrics I'd heard, and more. Often, the conversation about them sparks a longer in-depth blog post.
Top Five Sunday Sayings/Monday Maxims Posts for 2013
Your top five long form favorites were:- Be the curator for your story. (This intention was inspired by my participation as a contributor in this summer's Find Your Voice workshop.
- Embrace your fears. (This intention was inspired by speakers I heard at Alt Summit SF.)
- Pick yourself. (This intention was inspired by a blog post Seth Godin wrote.)
- Anything can happen if you work for it. (This intention was inspired by the music played in between sessions at Alt Summit SLC.)
- Be brave. Build it. Turn dreams into reality. (This intention was inspired by a sponsored event I was doing with La Crema Wines.)
In 2014, I'll be tying back the weekly Instagram mottos with the related long form Bedside Reading posts. I'm going to set a goal for at least a monthly Bedside Reading post during 2014--while this sounds doable it's a stretch goal. (Before I became a parent I could crank through a book a week, now I'm lucky if I can complete a magazine over the course of a month. My three to four hour train commute between the South Bay and the City and the City and the far East Bay for over six years may have also helped. 2013 was the first year in over seven years where I didn't have at least a three hour round trip commute.) I'll try to identify what I'm reading in the Instagram comment so that you can grab the book or magazine if you're so inspired. If I don't and you want to know the context, shoot me an email or ping me via social media.
For lighter content, check back later today when I share your favorite snapshots of Gates. Tomorrow, I'll finish up 2013 with the top five memorable moments of 2013. I'll be comparing my top moments with yours. Think they'll match?
Ciao Bella!
Eden!
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Credits: All layouts designed by and images taken by Eden Hensley Silverstein for The Road to the Good Life.
