I reflected on my words of the year for 2017 and decided on some for 2018!

My words for 2017 were Trust and Love, these were based on the trust and love on life, self power and starting life over. They did flow through my whole year and allow me to experience and explore more as my first year a single person. Some examples: I traveled around a lot driving in my car the furthest I have ever, completely out of my comfort zone to experience Sikhi camps, I got the train for short breaks in Edinburgh and Birmingham and flew to Prague to sight see! I ticked off so many experiences I’ve wanted to do for years and connected with friends and made new ones too.

My words for 2018 are Fearless action and Self Acceptance, the word fearless was written down in a dream, I read it and remembered it on waking. I hardly ever dream let alone read words in it! It was at a time I kept asking myself what my word will be, so I took it as a sign. I’ve added ‘action’ as I feel it’s easy to think fearlessly and talk about fearlessness but it’s all in the doing. Putting yourself in the arena, doing small acts of courage, for me speaking in groups can get me easily nervous though through doing it I experience a fearless energy. The same goes for making art, thorough out my spiritual life I noticed I was becoming fearful of not fitting into people’s ideals and being judged, making art anyway is a fearless act.

So where does self acceptance fit in? It kept coming up in what I was reading and it resonated to art making, to accept that I’m still an artist and can create in anyway whatever I want to create! Whether it be fine art, painting abstract, intuitive painting, mixed media, writing – whatever, it’s all available, always. I recently heard the phrase – where there is self acceptance there is no anger, I liked that. Some Amrithari women I meet are the most beautiful souls, whether the keep or remove there body hairs (not here to judge), they are just so confident, honest and compassionate. I could include self acceptance into body image too, as I have the usual body hang ups and insecurities as the next person. When I could just say and feel – I accept all of me and all of you.

The really interesting thing I noticed from doing word of the year is that those words, written on my bullet journal, were used throughout my days. They were like a bottom line or bench mark to where I could always come back to, I attracted more trust and love and brought them in to my attitude. The other thing is that on reflecting, what really were my words of the year, explore and experience came up. In truth, trust and love let me explore more of the UK, experience emotions and connect with more people.

‘It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.’ – Theadore Roosevelt