What I've Been "Do"ing

This year is already nearly a quarter over and I realized that I hadn't updated on my one word. I chose "do" as my word to shape 2012, and it's been interesting to keep that in mind as I go about my days.

I would say that thus far, I have had mixed results.

In the arena of personal health, I got back to running. I kind of slacked off during the first part of the school year, only getting out on the rare occasion to put feet to the pavement. I joined a local fitness center so that my whining about outside conditions can be thwarted as soon as they pop into my brain.

I have not been nearly as justice minded as I feel that I should be. There are places where I need to become more personally involved. Donating money is good, but I feel like I need to be getting my hands in the mix a bit more. This is an area that could use significant improvement and I'll be tackling it a bit more aggressively in the coming months.

As far as writing goes, I feel as though I've been making some good choices. I've been posting a bit less than last year, but I've also been trying to be more pointed with my writing. In addition to the blog, I've also been working on some other projects that I'm excited about and I hope to be sharing more about that in the coming weeks. (By the way, don't forget about the Not Afraid book - submissions are due this Friday!)

Musically, this has been a very interesting year. I followed up with an opportunity recently that presented itself, so in that regard I feel as though I followed through with my desire to "do" this year, however, I ultimately turned it down. This leaves me feeling a bit conflicted. There's no question in my mind that I made the correct decision, however it feels a bit like a failure to "do." On the other hand, doing just for the sake of doing does not seem to be in the spirit of the one word.

With regard to making some virtual connections more human, this hasn't happened yet, but it's very close. Next month is the Sacred Friendship Gathering, and I'm very much looking forward to meeting several folks out there. If you're in the Chicago area during the last weekend in April, let me know and we'll see what we can work out. And of course, be sure to check out the conference. I recently got a look at the itinerary for the weekend and it's going to be an amazing time. I'm also working on a trip to visit some friends in the Ohio area. So while that hasn't happened yet, it's in the works.

As I said, mixed results.

It can be easy to look at the areas where I have yet to really apply my one word and obsess about them. But I need to remind myself that "obsess" was not my one word, and continue to do where I have begun and look for ways to do in the areas where I have not.

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Are you participating in this year's One Word? How is it going? What have you learned so far? How can I encourage you? And if you're not participating, please enjoy this Homestar Runner video that I think of every single time I say the word "doing."