#reverb10 - December 27th

Prompt: Ordinary joy. Our most profound joy is often experienced during ordinary moments. What was one of your most joyful ordinary moments this year?

I'm lucky to be able to say that I've had many joyful ordinary moments this year simply because I've been able to live more in the moment than I have been in the recent past. Most of these moments have been used watching birds in our garden, sitting back and enjoying the fun my students are having in class this term, listening to the sound of a clock ticking in our house, to name but a few.

The moments that are most joyful for me and stick with me the longest are those I spent this summer reading with my niece.  She has a ravenous appetite for books.  Mostly we flicked through the pages pointing out pictures and asking each other what the pictures were.  But watching her soak in the information on those pages and reproduce the sounds and words she was learning was a daily miracle.  

There's absolutely no reason for her not to learn all these new words and sounds, and to watch the growth of another human being, especially a child, is truly magical.  I'm so thankful that I got the chance to spend that time with her.  I'm also thankful that I understand the blessings of those moments and that I took the time to sit with her and read.  It would have been so easy to turn on the TV or use the computer while we sat together.  I can do that any day.  And even though I think I said 'owl' and 'twit twoo' about five hundred times this summer, it's not everyday I get the chance to teach this to a three-year-old.

Jordi and I read Blueberry Girl by Neil Gaiman this summer.  It's a gorgeous book for kids who like animals and a great story for all children.

#reverb10 - December 13th

Prompt: Action. When it comes to aspirations, its not about ideas. It's about making ideas happen. What's your next step?

      In terms of making ideas happen I feel that 2010 has been the year of new happenings for me.  I've already taken several steps that enable more of my aspirations to come true.  It has taken me a good 15 years to finally understand what my aspirations are (although I guess speaking truthfully my aspirations have morphed over the years) and I now understand that the reason many of my aspirations of the past didn't happen for me was because they weren't true aspirations that my soul believed in, which is why I didn't end up doing much to make them become reality.
      This year I've been entering more competitions with my writing (and winning a fair amount of awards, which is great for a first timer) and starting new projects.  My mind feels like it's literally brimming with potential scripts, which is never a bad thing for a writer!  I've also taken to getting my flow on - writing 750 words everyday.  I had been doing this previously in the form of Julia Cameron's 'morning pages' but I'm terrible at getting up in the morning so all my best intentions often got pushed to the way-side after a couple of weeks.  750 words on the other hand is something I crave to do everyday and allow myself to do it whenever I get the chance.
      Really I've just found new focus personally and professionally that I haven't had for a very long time.  And I must say that it does feel wonderful.
      As for next steps - my heart is telling me to move towards a career that allows me to follow my passion (maybe not fully, but more closely than my current profession) so I'm going to take a new course starting January.  On top of that in January I'm taking part in The Fiction Project by ArtHouse Co-op, which I'm just itching to get started on.  I've also pledged the month of January to 750 words as a means of continuing on my flow well into 2011.  So I'm definitely taking steps in the right direction.
      Sometimes it's difficult to know what next steps to take, but if you listen to your heart and soul, their light will shine the way, even if they're taking you well off the beaten track.