In December, Jude’s invitation to her solstice party arrived in my inbox. Bring your word for the year, she beckoned. I tried on several. And then “AWE” dropped in and felt just right. I find it is better if the word finds you versus you finding it.
AWE
an emotion of wonder inspired by the sacred
I made it into an acronym
Acting w/ Wisdom Emerging
Living into AWE has been an awesome process.
A few days after her party, Jude drew this card from her deck, thought of me, and sent a picture by email.
Receiving it was an awesome experience. November and December had been difficult months for me emotionally. GUIDANCE was just what I needed to move past the stuck spot weighing me down. I embraced AWE more deeply.
I was so inspired, I wanted to share this experience with my friends. And so I orchestrated a ritual for a New Year’s Eve gathering of friends … the subject of my last blog post.
As I continued living into AWE, I prayed for guidance and recorded hints in my journal. Wisdom and guidance often come when I’m writing … like it emerges from deep within or beyond me and flows from my pen or my fingers as they tap the keyboard. That preferred method hasn’t worked recently. I had a sense that I would be receiving messages in other ways and needed to be on the lookout.
I primed the pump by reading and listening to wisdom teachers. Richard Rohr’s daily meditations from the Center for Action and Contemplation are a primary source for me.
I made an appointment to consult with Andrea, a trusted local wisdom teacher for guidance. I put myself on high alert. And then, last Saturday, while in the shower getting ready for one of the spiritually-oriented groups I attend, the source of the difficulty weighing me down popped into my awareness. And now when I see Andrea, we will have a head start.
And to me, that is AWEsome!
It picques my curiosity for what other wisdom will emerge to guide me?
And how it will appear?
So What?
“What’s the big deal,” you might ask. “Why all this searching for wisdom within?”
Those are good questions.
I see us living in perilous times. We as human beings are being confronted with the need to grow up and find mature ways to address the many complex challenges we face.
My friend, Ani, calls it “becoming new earth beings” … because our world is in need of “new beings” who will help build a “love-based” versus a “fear-based” world. She and her Women of Spirit group are committed to this journey.
I find it daunting to know how to be a part of the solution versus remaining part of the problem … to extend love versus fear, especially when I’m experiencing pain and anxiety. I need all the wisdom I can muster. I dare say, “We all do.”
I’ve been examining the immaturity within me … that stuck spot that has been weighing me down is an example. Being free of it will release my energy for making mature choices as I seek to contribute to making my corner of the world a more loving space … as I seek to be a part of ending the fear-based polarization in our country.
It is an AWE-inspiring challenge I accept.
What about you?
If you attended my New Year’s Eve gathering, I’d love for you to share how you’ve been living into your word.
For anybody else, I invite you to enrich us all by sharing your word for the year and it’s meaning to you.
What a wonderful gift Awe is! I am delighted for you. I had the privilege of being at your New Year’s celebration, and my word was Resurrection. Over the past couple of years I have let go of many huge, false and limiting beliefs I have had since childhood (thanks to what I believe were Divinely orchestrated circumstances that left me no choice :). I have been feeling lighter and happier, free of things that were weighing me down. At times it feels like I am overflowing with love and want to share it! The journey is always worth it, if you’re willing to learn. Blessings to you on your ongoing wisdom journey, Linda!
Since I first met you, Cindy, I have heard you speak with such depth. Your having let go of false and limiting beliefs is apparent. It is a joy to be in your orbit and to experience your overflowing love flowing in my direction. Thank you. I agree, the journey is always worth it. And in my experience, when the uncomfortable feelings come, it is a sign that another growth step is calling or an awakening is in the works. So nice to have you as one of my dearest friends on the journey.
I also was privileged to be at your New Year’s Eve celebration. I have been living into my word “faith”. Over the past year, I have worked at allowing myself to have more faith that God will guide me in directions that I need to go, and I am seeing that happen. I have been looking for the ways God speaks to me in the events of everyday life and trusting those messages. This has been an important process for me and I am committed to continuing on this spiritual path. I am grateful for the people I am connecting with who are also on spiritual paths. I celebrate the “awe” you are experiencing in your life, Linda, and wish for you an “awe” filled year.
I have witnessed you living into your word “faith” and watching what opens up for you. I see how important this part of your life is and how it sustains you. I look forward to seeing what opens up for you this year as you live with “faithfulness” to your word. I’m grateful to be one of the people you connect with. May this year bring you many faith-filled connections.
My experience is these ‘words’ and experiences of awe revisit us once we have made a commitment to them, even decades later. Over 3 decades ago I made a commitment to the word ‘creation’ in the context of the awe of evolution and emergence. It just returned to me again in a book I was reading, intact with the symbol I used for it 30 years ago. It has been filling my awareness with awe for weeks. Ken Wilber says we not only need to “grow up” but wake up, clean up and show up. These intentions are critical in doing all four. Thanks Linda!
Well, Diana … that is certainly an awesome experience of having your commitment to “creation” and “evolution” and “emergence” validated for you these 30 years later. I experience your excitement and awe as synchronicities abound in your life. In my experience, if we are committed to growth, waking up, cleaning up, and showing up naturally follow. I agree, it is not only critical, but an awesome process when we open to the flow. For me, I can’t not open to it.
My word is “clarity.” It came to me through my Bible study, the concept of 20/20, and life. Right now I need to see clearly and succinctly. So far, so good!!
Clarity is such a great word. So glad you were guided to it. It is your commitment that will help you see clearly and succinctly … as you are experiencing. Good for you and thank you so much for sharing.
My word is “acceptance”. I found this definition years ago and don’t know the author. The last line is especially meaningful for me in this coming year:
Acceptance is simply the willingness to recognize and accept how things are.
It is the courage to permit negative thinking to inform our understanding,
without allowing it to define our approach to the future. Acceptance does not
demand becoming resigned to the continuation of what ever circumstances
may trouble us, but it does require a refusal to deny exactly how things happen
to be now….Acceptance implies a compassionate relationship with oneself.
Cathy, thank you so much for sharing the definition of ACCEPTANCE so meaningful to you. Acceptance has been a word I have needed in the past and I have never been exposed to this definition. The line that jumps out for me as a new thought is “It is the courage to permit negative thinking to inform our understanding without allowing it to define our approach to the future.” I especially like it because it is so non-judgmental regarding negative thinking … something that I believe is so common and so readily judged. It is so human to dip into negativity … we seem wired for it as a protective measure. This way of looking at it puts it into a perspective that doesn’t judge us or weigh us down. Thank you so much for sharing your word and this thought-provoking definition.
Awe is an inspiring word. The word I am feeling is faith. Faith that spirit is guiding me and has my back at all times. Because of hurt, pain and betrayal I experienced as a young person, I made a deal with myself to trust/have faith at 98% guarding the 2% in my heart for the inevitable disappointments life offers. I recognize now that my faith needs to be 100%. No holding back.
Well, Jen, that is an awesome awareness … that your faith/trust needs to be 100% with no holding back. I get that. It is so very human to brace for life’s hurt, pain, and betrayal. It takes a firm commitment and, in my experience, lots of support to trust that much. I see you gathering that support around you in many ways. I look forward to witnessing the unfolding for you this year.
Love your word for the year. It is so fitting. Look forward to more on you experiencing awe. I was not at your New Years event but was intrigued about picking a word. The word I picked or it picked me is CALM. It makes me calm just to say it. So appropriate at this time in my life.
So glad your reading about my New Year’s Eve gathering opened you to receiving CALM. I recognize that this is a challenging time in your life and you could easily slip into frazzled. I am in awe of the way you meet your challenges … of the vision you carry for a better way … and how you inspire others to join with you in creating beauty and connection. I believe your CALM will go along way this year to opening doors for you and for the others in our life.
I love your word “Awe”, both for the the sound (it rings like a bell) and for the meaning – feels like coming from divine spheres. I also like your acronym.
My words for the year are “Fierce Grace.” They also just popped in, though were certainly inspired by Ram Das’ passing a couple of weeks ago. I took two memorable workshops with Ram Das. But it is personal: I am calling on a powerful fierceness as we face these times. I like that you called these times “perilous” — they are, and that is a fierce word. But I also want my fierceness to be guided by Grace.
Thank you for your beautiful blog, Linda.
Love,
ani
Oh Ani, I see the wisdom in bringing GRACE to your FIERCENESS. What powerful words. So needed in these times in which we live. I can envision you showing up in both your personal and your professional life with the fierce grace of your convictions. What a powerful presence you bring.
Thank you for appreciating my blog. It means a lot to me.
Much love to you.