A Fresh Beginning ~ 2012 ~ One Word Choice

As the New Year has arrived with only today to reflect on 2011, I would like to wish you all a Happy and Blessed New Year!

Looking back on 2011 and all that has transpired, I would have to say that I am once again so grateful.  It is with thanksgiving and praise that I will go forward into 2012 hopefully a better person.  As I believe we should each continually grow in our lives,  I personally will continue to work on my spiritual, family,  personal and business growth for 2012 and on into the rest of my life.

With these challenges, I can say that I am so excited to start 2012 with a fresh new attitude.  One I haven't always been aware of nor have I always practiced as much as I would of hoped.  So in 2012, I am choosing to through aside certain words I normally would use in my vocabulary and make a concentrated effort to add certain words that maybe in the past I would not of taken note of or chosen to use.  The words I toss out will be ones that normally would tend to hinder my growth and I am giving them the boot, and with God's help moving forward to a better place.  I have goals to accomplish and things to learn and see.  Many of these words were a part of the reasons I haven't accomplished what I'd like to, or become the person that I believe God would like me to be.  You may be wondering, what some of these words may be, that I am hoping to extinguish with God's help?  To start with a few of the words on my list will be "I can't", "fear", "failure","scared", etc.  I think you get the picture...

If you've followed my blog for a year or more, you might remember last year when I chose a word to live 2011 by.  Trying to pick just one word is a joke for a wordy girl like me, so I cheated.  I chose two words.  They were shared in my "One Word to Live By" post.  You can read about my struggle to find that choice word here , as in that blog post I shared all about my 2011 word I had choses for growth.  It was interesting to go back and read what my thoughts were about it.  I of course, had forgotten about some of the things I had planned to change and goals I had set, and I actually found I had failed on many accounts.  Below is a portion of that post from 12 mos. ago and the struggle I was experiencing at that time with choosing just one word.  So here is part of what I had written...

Nope...I wasn't sure.  The word "inspire" kept coming to me.  I "inspire" to be a better person in 2011.  I "inspire" to be a better Mom, Wife, Friend and Sister in 2011.  I "inspire" to grow in my jewelry design business, and as a jewelry designer.  I "inspire" to learn to do more effective photography and photo editing.  I "inspire" to learn new things in 2011.   I "inspire" to be a better blogger.  I even plan to "inspire" some of you in 2011 through my blog.  I "inspire" to share more tutorials and how-to's on my blog as well.  So, "Inspire" is what I chose...

Wait you say...  That's two words.  "Redesign" and "Inspire".  Guess what?  I'm breaking the rule.  I am so not a rule breaker, but I'm starting 2011 with being a rule breaker.  I'm choosing two words to live by in 2011.  I maybe should have chosen "motivation" as both of my words are motivational words, but "Redesign" and "Inspire" are what kept coming to me through my pondering.

So now its 2012, and I've chosen my word for 2012.  It will be "I CAN"...  Yes, another two words, but if you are having problems with the rule breaking I'm doing, than I'll just say it's "ICAN" and than I'm only using one word. :)

Here's what motivated me to choose these words.  For the past two years I have been following along, have learned an amazing amount of information both with regards to photography, PSE use (or rather my need to get one for Christmas this year), fell in love with the use of textures and layers on photos, and also was even contributing for a short time on Kim's Inspiration Studio blog (this blog is no longer active).   Cool stuff for sure, but then I dropped the ball and got super busy with life and my jewelry business and neglected the stuff I wanted to do to learn and grow.

So late last week this blogging friend of mine, Kim Klassen has a wonderful blog post she shared at Shutter Sisters. It was totally what I needed to get motivated and ready to move forward in 2012.  As a blogging fan of Kim's various blogs, it was through her that I was initially inspired to figure out what it was that I wanted to do and how i wanted to grow in 2011.  I am so thankful for her challenges and continuation of encouragements that she shares through her blogs.  Her recent post at Shutter Sisters garnered many comments, and below is an example of another reads comment and than my personal comment as well.

One reader commented:

I am taking your quote: Whatever you want in life, you can do it…. It may take hard work…there may be mountains to climb, obstacles to move....but it's completely doable. First you must believe you can. This will be my 2012 words to live by...

This is what I shared:

I CAN learn PSE10... I CAN learn how to use the fabulous accumulation of Kim Klassen layers/textures and brushes that I've been buying for the last 2 years... and I CAN become more proficient with my photography which will than enhance my vintage jewelry redesign business.

I CAN grow in my love for Jesus, my husband and daughter and be a light to those that He puts in my life through my every day life journey and my art career as a jewelry designer.

Thank you Kim for another beautifully inspiring post, for being so real and for the challenge to do more of the "I CAN" vs. the "I CAN'T". Need to be of that attitude for 2012. One step at a time!

Gretchen
December 30, 2011 | Gretchen Schaumann

As I read the above comment I had just written from my heart in Kim's blog post response, I knew right then that the words "I CAN" were destined to be my words for 2012.  Kind of an interesting way that they came to be the words, but perfect for what I need to do.  Indeed, they aren't fancy words, or poetic and such, but they are instead action words, which is perfect for what I desire to do and be in 2012.

The last two days have consisted of me using the new action words "I CAN", as I have spent both days on my MacBook Pro trying to organize and sort through tons of photos to eliminate some of the mess I have on my computer and also have been working on learning Photoshop Elements 10, which I got for Christmas.  Kim Klassen, is offering a free Photoshop Skinny Mini eCourse starting January 9th, and I'm signed up to participate in it.  To learn more about this wonderful free opportunity go check out her Kim Klassen Cafe site.  Thank you Kim for all that you've shared so graciously that has encouraged me on my journey.

Thanks to Heather H for spending time with me at Caribou Coffee to help me with editing the above photo last Thursday on my new PSE10 software I got for Christmas.  This is some of the techniques and looks that I hope to continue to learn for 2012 and enhance my photos and business through the use of these techniques.  I will be taking Kim's class this month and it should help as well.  Necklace was created for a Christmas gift for one of my customers, by her thoughtful husband.  He has done this for her two years now, and he always has a meaningful reason behind his purchases for his wife.  So cool!

So, long story short, my word for 2012 will be "I CAN".  What will your word or goals be for your fresh New Year?  Another of my goals is to improve my blog visually, as well as actually do better with posting.  Maybe, I will get to the point where I can post a short post and not such a long winded one like this one has become and actually do the posting more often.  :)  That would be awesome...  I have good intentions and than life gets in the way, or the photos aren't ready, etc... and than I don't post.  Here's to a better New Year..

My next jewelry event is coming up soon and I will share more about that in the days ahead.  For now, mark your calendar for January 28th, a Saturday.  This event is one you'll not want to miss...

Sorry for the lack of photos in this post, as I've been doing some messing around with my computer and can't quite upload the new photos of jewelry quite yet.  This blog post was originally started days ago, so I'm going forward and hitting the "post" button, or it will be like other posts and end up sitting in my draft box never to be posted...    I need to be better about finishing one task at a time.  However, in my defense, my daughter asked me to spend some time with her on her last day off of Christmas break, and thankfully I decided to take the opportunity and put aside my blogging and learning, so I apologize for mostly words, and only one photo.

What is it  that you would  like to do  differently this year?  Anything  at  all, or  do  you  not do  the whole New Years self improvement  thing?  Please  share your  hopes and  dreams  for  2012  with  me.  I'd  love to hear them.   Can you believe  that  I've only done this for  two years  in my  entire life?  I did  not grow  up in a  goal  setting family, so this is all new to me.  Kind of fun...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

~Be blessed~