A New Year, A New Adventure

As this fresh new year gets underway, I am celebrating with a new adventure! Today’s post officially launches my new blog, with its own domain name, cindygoesbeyond.com. The appearance is similar, because the software is a wordpress.org product. I have a new host, siteground. 

All this newness has certainly challenged me, mentally, and I am in the process of learning more and launching a second blog that focuses entirely on my healing journey. I am excited about the possibilities and the potential! My archives from the previous site are in the process of being transferred. Perhaps. As a daily blogger, my former blog site is huge, which presents some challenges in transferring three years of posts. 

Whether those previous posts are able to be moved to this new site, or not, all is well. My first site will remain up and will feature a redirect to cindygoesbeyond.com. 

This year’s theme and journey began to develop early in 2016, with the passing of actor Alan Rickman. Long a fan of this amazing man, I was deeply saddened by his  unexpected death. Alan once said that to know him, study his work. Missing his presence on this earth, I did that very thing, watching his movies and interviews, reading about his projects and life. Which is how I came across this remarkable quote of his:

I was captivated by Alan’s words, and tucked them away in my heart. 

Last summer, expanding on an exercise in the Walking in This World book, I enjoyed a month of drawing creative activities out of a glass pitcher, one each day. Not only did I enjoy the fun and artistic activities, but I learned to trust at a much deeper level. The activities I randomly drew each morning perfectly matched my day, time and availability wise. 

On the only two rainy days during the month of June, I drew the rainy day activities. Those kinds of “coincidences”, called synchronicities, get my attention. They are taps on my shoulder, making me aware that something greater and more mysterious is unfolding. I began to see and hear the word inspiration, repeatedly. Repetition is another way that the Divine alerts me to something important. 

And then the invitation came. 

As my days aligned with the activites that I seemingly selected at random, I sensed the playfulness involved, the humor, and the joy present. I asked a bold question of the Divine. “Will you play with me?” My answer came the morning I drew a rainy day activity, as rain fell outside. The answer was “YES!” 

What I heard next astounded me. The quiet words that filled my mind posed a question. “Will you play with Me?” How could I not accept such a request. “Yes…yes!” was my answer. 

That incredible month revealed my word for 2017, Inspiration. The word literally means “Divine guidance”. It can also mean to do something creative or artistic. Another definition of inspiration is to breathe in, or inhale, life. All of those meanings align with me, with my current journey…and connect back to the Alan Rickman quote that I was drawn to early in the year. 

The lightbulb, long associated with creativity and bright ideas, clicked into place as my symbol for the year. As soon as I acknowledged this symbol, the lightbulb began to show up everywhere in my life. I have a large Edison bulb hanging in my studio. 

My Year of Inspiration will focus, then, on two things: making life a little more tender and art a little more robust. Through my second blog I’ll also be sharing my healing journey and the importance of good health, at every age. 

It promises to be an amazing year. After all, I have been invited to play. I feel inspired already.