Word-of-the-month: nihility (n.)

[Image credit: Arvind Balaraman]

Within the past week or so, there has been a marked nihility in my life — a hole that must be filled.  I’ve sought to satisfy this emptiness by surrounding myself with like-minded people (see Dreamers and doers), attending Yoga practice nearly every day, meeting my basic spiritual needs, throwing myself into my day job and writing out goals to advance my writing career.  But the deep nihility remains.  It’s as if a little part of my heart has been excised and I’m waiting to find the missing piece.  The online definition of this noun is nothingness.  Synonyms include void, blank, oblivion and nonexistence.  Yet I continue to seek after the antonyms of capacity and fullness.  I’m not sure what it will take to attain wholeness.  Perhaps each stepping stone toward Someday will bring me closer.  Or maybe it will require the eventual realization of Someday in order to be complete.  All I know is what I’m currently doing is not working.

Is there nihility in your life?

Dreamers and doers

[Image credit: Stuart Miles]

Surround yourself with the dreamers and the doers,
the believers and the thinkers,
But most of all surround yourself with
those who see greatness within you
even when you don’t see it yourself.
~ Edmund Lee

Last weekend I attended my first writers’ convention.  What an unforgettable day surrounded by like-minded people — writers, published authors, editors, agents and publishers — with an insatiable passion for the written word.  I walked into the conference seeking a jump start to the creative process.  I walked out encouraged, excited and equipped with an arsenal of resources to help me as I move forward with my writing career.  Whether it’s family, friends or a professional “support group” (or preferably all of the above), I realized how crucial it is to align myself with a network of the dreamers and the doers who share the same enthusiasm.  Otherwise, it is too easy to get hung up on our failures rather than on our successes.

Do you surround yourself with like-minded people who inspire greatness?

Home away from home

[Image credit: Simon Howden]

Wherever we spend significant time outside of our own residences becomes our home away from home.  It may be our place of employment and/or a pastime we enjoy, such as cycling on the open road or fishing on a favorite lake.  In addition to the office, the Yoga studio has become my second home where I typically spend up to 10 hours per week.  The other day I realized how comfortable I feel with the yogi/nis I share my time with — talking about our constitutionals, skin issues, relationships and various other topics commonly bantered about between close friends and family.  It’s a rare treat to find others who are not much different than I am — some with a similar sense of humor and others with the same insecurities.  And even more of us who are quirky in our own ways.  Rather than judgment, I feel a sense of acceptance.  I consider myself lucky to call the hot room my home away from home.

Where is your second home?

Just say thank you

[Image credit: Stuart Miles]

If someone pays me a compliment, oftentimes I blow it off.  Like when I’m told I look younger than my chronological age, I give credit to my adult acne.  If someone offers positive affirmation on my physique, I agree it’s not bad for someone my age.  Why is it so hard to simply say thank you?  Recently, I received a note from a friend telling me I had inspired her.  And I realized just because I’m not perfect (a blemish here, excess skin there, a mistake on something I’ve proofread a half-dozen times), doesn’t mean I can’t acknowledge a nicety for the effort I make to improve myself daily.  That goes for kudos on the stuff that’s visible, and the stuff we can’t see, as well.  So even though we’re flawed individuals outside and inside, we never know when something we say or do may inspire someone around us.  Next time someone pays me a compliment, I’ll just try saying thank you. 

How do you handle a nicety?

It’s not all about me

[Image credit: Grant]

A couple of months ago I read an article that revolved around our busy schedules and the myriad tasks we pile onto our days (guilty as charged).  Another piece talked about teamwork on the job.  It’s true: life continues around us in all its busy-ness  —  at work and at play.  But if we were to slow down a minute, shift our focus and help others get where they need to go, it may also serve to lessen our load … either now, or in the future.  Because in the end, it’s really not all about us.  In the overall scheme of things, our role is small.  But it just might make a huge difference in the long run.  Perhaps we’ll make someone’s day more bearable.  Or offer another person the attention they sorely lack.  The time we spend might even go unnoticed, yet I don’t think it will go to waste.  I believe the ripples will long be felt where it matters most.

Is it all about you?

Sparkling affirmations

[Image credit: scottchan]

One afternoon, a yogi friend of mine used the word “vibrant” to describe my recent practice.  I ran into two others who said I “sparkle.”  Who wouldn’t want to hear themselves described with such colorful words?  Especially when life often gets in the way, many times attempting to bring us down — about our circumstances and ourselves.  What we think, we become.  So it stands to reason we should regularly possess an arsenal of these positive affirmations, particularly when the going gets tough and we’re feeling less than vibrant … or sparkly.  It’s okay (and not out of the norm) to have a bad day or a bad moment.  That’s life.  But as a couple sweet teachers remind the class after each practice: don’t let anyone or anything steal your peace.  We all have “stuff.”  It’s about learning how to accept it without allowing it to define us.  And then rising above it in order to sparkle.

What are three words of affirmation others have used to describe you?