To reflect, not force hair down a slow drain

Day 470 of 1000 days,

Today is also the 54th day of autumn. As this year starts to close, I get closer to my 44th birthday. For me it is the time of year to look deep within and decide what will be my focus for the next year. The popular time for reflection and resolutions is January 1st but for me the time is on my birthday. I start one month before my birthday and carry it to 1 month beyond. I don't want to rush or feel rushed, I want to discover this next years path not force it like a big clump of hair down a slow drain.

In a month, I will also be a little over half way down my 1000 day journey. Exactly 30 days from today will by my halfway mark. Have I learned anything during the past 470 days? Sometimes I wonder and other times it seems like the whole world has shifted. I don't spend too much time pondering the changes for the very reason I wanted the journey to be long. There would be no pressure, if all the changes come on day 1000 or on day 1052 or even if they already shifted on day 32 I don't care I have faith this journey is life enhancing. This is a journey of meandering and discovery.

By now you would think the journey is crystal clear, on the contrary, it is a living practice. Each day I write, in my composting journal, what day I'm on just to keep me focused. I ponder and question all the time. As of this day I'm practicing learning to notice, to be aware, to cherish each day. I practice listening to my heart, my joys, my passions, my anger and my fears. Each emotion seems to come with a message from my heart. Most of the time I forget to listen or cherish, hence, the 1000 days to practice.

The fact I'm writing to you is a big leap for me. A hidden desire to write has been burning for years. Not to write the great novel, nor travel promoting my new book, but to just write what I see, what I feel, what comes to me. This blog and my blogs gives me the medium to explore life and to record what I discover. Maybe I would have been writing without the 1000 day journey.
Or maybe instead of writing I would have been creating a recipes or reading a book. It's hard to say when you chose a path if this path is better or worse than another path or no path at all. The answer to this questions is why I spend 30 days mulling over what the focus of my 44th year should be. A good sail requires a little bit of wind and little bit of luck- it also doesn't hurt to be stearing.

Happy travels,
Denise