Live Deliberately

posted 6th January 2009    Written by: Molly Hoyne    CATEGORY: All Posts, Inspiration

I admit it: I love the New Year, just as much as I love peanut butter, little kids in snowsuits & new magazines delivered to my mailbox. Hear me? I love the New Year a whole big bunch.

It’s the thrill of a clean slate, a brand new journal & of course, a handful of resolutions. I’ve spent several snow days hemming and hawing over just what I’d like to accomplish in 2009. One of my favorite things to do is come up with a theme for the year: 2007 was “Life’s an Adventure” & 2008 was “Big Dreams, Bright Eyes”. Cliche? Perhaps. But they hold hard fought meaning for me and for the year ahead.

So what does the future hold?

My theme for this year is “Live Deliberately”. It’s an anthem for conscious choice about the life I live each day and the ideals that are expressed. What do I want to express, you ask? Courage, Creativity, Authenticity, Vitality, Connection, and of course, Joy. I want my values to be reflected in the way I spend my time, the interactions I have with others & the message I share with the world.

What do I mean by Live Deliberately?

It’s the year to be deliberately conscious of who I truly am in all my quirky, individual, optimistic glory. To make choices that move me forward towards my best life. It means embracing that fact that I drive a 12 year old Subaru with a large tent on top named Quincy. It means feeling totally sexy in cowboy boots and chandelier earrings, because I do. It means endlessly promoting Stratejoy because I believe so strongly that we can all live bright thriving lives, even in the face of naysayers. Whatever I do & say & write, it’s gonna be authentic. No false pretenses, no striving to be someone I’m not, no swallowing societal expectations.

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.  I wanted to live deep and suck all the marrow of life…”  –Henry David Thoreau–

The Cold, Hard Truth

Tall order, eh? I’m definitely not there. I, like so many of us, fall prey all to often to the comparison game, to self doubt & to wasting time doing absolute crap (not that I don’t love watching Gossip Girl or stalking my crush from the 5th grade on Facebook- but honestly- there are definitely other, more useful, things I could be doing).

“You’re not perfect?” you gasp. Hah!  Of course not.

And I’m sharing that very fact because I’ve got no soap box here. I don’t stand on any sort of pedestal of Joyful Living. Happiness is a journey, not a final destination, and I’m along for the ride- just like you! We’re all striving to carve out a life that is an expression of our “true selves”, myself included.

How about you?

What would you like to express this year? What’s your theme? Maybe you’ve nailed down the “check the box” resolutions (go to spinning twice a week, get that elusive promotion, be kinder to your parents, etc) but what does the year hold for you on a larger level?

Think about it. And if you need some help, give me a ring.  And if you’re feel really gutsy, leave a comment!

Interested in living deliberately this year as well? My beloved bible holds oodles of inspiration. Check out Janet Luhr’s The Simple Living Guide: A Sourcebook for Less Stressful, More Joyful Living.

Simple Living Guide

photo credit:  Ken Mahar

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Comments (4)

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4 Responses to “Live Deliberately”

  • kim shirley Says:
    January 6th, 2009 at 9:12 pm

    Molly,
    I love this entry and look forward to reading more! you are an inspiring writer- so much fun and insight. I admire you and your mission. Loved meeting you today at Muse and look forward to seeing you soon. Cheers, Kim Shirley

  • Ruby Says:
    January 29th, 2009 at 3:25 am

    I will start living by my own rules, my dad messed up my life enough…

  • How To Create a Guiding Theme for 2010 | Stratejoy | Conquer Your Quarterlife Crisis through Fresh Strategies for Real Joy Says:
    January 18th, 2010 at 2:45 pm

    [...] I create a Guiding Theme. It’s something I’ve done for a few years (See 2009- Live Deliberately), but this was the first year I sought some outside opinions on the best way to create a theme.  I [...]

  • black_chandelier Says:
    March 9th, 2010 at 7:18 pm

    I like this article! Will come again next time for sure, thank again

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