thrive
Saturday, January 2, 2010 at 6:55PM 
-polaroid self-portraits, 779 film-
I finally figured out my word for the coming year.
It happened during my run this morning. Now, I’d gotten off track with my running routine this fall and I’ve been missing it. The part I miss the most is the way it clears my head. Its absence has been adding up, having me finding it really difficult to get those negative gremlins out of my thoughts.
This morning it wasn’t hard to convince myself to go and I spent the first chunk of the run repeating “get out get out get out of my head” with the rhythm of my feet hitting pavement. As I kept running, there came a point when my head finally felt clear again.
That’s when I started thinking about what my word might be. Nourish? Nope…though that would be nice, but I think I need more. And then it came. THRIVE. There was no more searching. That was it.
It happened that the word popped into my head just as I was nearing the end of my route, which involves a very large hill. Thinking about what a thriving life for myself might look like I found a new energy as I bounded up the hill.
I had an amazing 2009. It far exceeded my expectations. I want to write more about it, but I will say that from it I found myself community that I have so yearned for, both locally and ya’ll who live across the continent and around the world. I found myself even further as a photographer and had a seriously lovely time in the process. I travelled to beautiful places and met amazing people. It wasn't perfect but it was darn lovely.
From 2010 I want more of that kind of good stuff. So I’d been wanting a word that encompassed that. There are some parts of my life that I feel like I’m just surviving and I’d like to push myself towards the thrive end of the spectrum. Other parts of my life feel like they are ever growing and far past the state of mere survival, but I want to bring those things into places that are even better, even more.
A thriving life.
Did you choose a word for the year? I'd love to know what it is....
Reader Comments (10)
i love this post Viv and I love your word!!! THRIVE. YES. YOU. WILL!!!
i chose my word today as well. i just posted about it on my blog.
my word is NURTURE. it kept creeping back into my head as i was contemplating "what should my word be"....that one just kept tugging.....it was relentless!!
i am so happy i met your beautiful, lovely soul this year. you are a light. a warmth. so welcoming...i hope we meet again!!
sending you loves and hugs!!
<3 k
www.heartwingsisters.blogspot.com
thrive.
awesome.
love, love, love it.
as you know, my word for 2010 is bliss.
cheers to us and our thrive and bliss!
xo
Oh what a wonderful word!! It is in one of my favorite quotes of all time: "Surviving is important. Thriving is elegant." - Maya Angelou
I hope that you DO thrive this year - I wish it for you!!
Mine's Relief - giggle - It clicked into place too.
love to you!
xo
What a great word to guide your year, Viv... Until you mentioned, I hadn't thought about what word would do the same for me... And now I am left reading the other comments to your post, and I am trying to find something equally good to all of their words... I might need time to think about this...
Thank you for getting the wheels turning in my head.
Much love, Annie.
my word is 'release' a word that i know will permeate all of me and needs to permeate all of me.
i love your word, 'thrive', i think it's a beautiful word and so are these portraits, especially because i know where they were taken. xoxo
i have not chosen my word yet -- so many to choose from but thrive is awesome! so rich and full and ripe...
That is perfect! I love that and wish for you a thriving 2010. I'm glad I got to meet you this past year:) I haven't chosen a word, but I like the concept. Maybe it will come to me.
Oh yes, Thrive, i like that and it seems perfect for you. These shots are wonderful, so vibrant.
My word for this year is possibility, oh the possibilities!
love,
xoxo
s
i love that word for you, love love love it!! alas, i am still trying to figure mine out :-) xoxo
I love these pictures! Thrive is a GREAT word for the new year. My word is create. Simple but full of intention!