What's the Word?

The word is the bird

Grease is the word


When did you first hear about having a word?  For me it was either whilst reading the book Eat, Pray, Love or whilst watching Oprah.  Maybe it was while I was watching Oprah while she was talking about the book Eat, Pray, Love.

hmm...

Last year my word was ACCOMPLISH.   I love that word.  I love it I love it I love it.  I really wanted to use it again this year.  I just want it to be my word.  Mine.  ALL MINE.  Nobody else's.   However, I decided that I need to come up with a new word.  I can't use the same one year after year.  However, I will allow myself to use it along with a new one.  So, while accomplish will still be part of my daily mantra I do need to come up with a new word for the new year.

Oh, but I just love accomplish.  Please can I keep it?   It can mean so much, or so little.

Actually, the correct definition is:

to bring to its goal or conclusion; carry out; perform; finish:to accomplish one's mission.

I have never been one for setting resolutions.  They seem like a recipe for failure.  People seem to have grandiose ideas of what they would like to achieve for the New Year, but never really make a plan as to how to achieve said goal.  However, I love the idea of a word.  I really think about what my resolutions/goals would be (if I were to 'make' some and then actually stick with them) and then try to think of a word that would help define those resolutions.  And I mean I really put some thought into it.  I sit quietly and pray and meditate.  This is no half-assed word retrieval.  This is the real deal.

I really do use my word as part of a mantra.  When I pray I know to ask God to help me accomplish.  It's really wonderful to have a word.

And, please, do not say your word is balance.  Please.  Are you with me?  Hasn't that word be done to death?  Don't get me wrong--it's wonderful to have balance.  And, I love balance as much as the next person, but if you say your word is balance I know you have put no thought into it.  Think about what balance means to you.  What is it that will make you feel like you have balance in your life?  Really think about it and your word will come to you.  Honest.

And, so, after much thought and consideration my word for the new year will be FAMILY.  When I first thought of family I dismissed it immediately.  But, it kept coming back to me.  The more I thought of it as my word the more I thought it would be the perfect word for me this year.  As my children are getting older it's easy to get stuck in certain ruts, or to let things slip by, and I really don't want to let anything slip by.  So, family it is.  Doing things for my family.  Doing things with my family.  Doing things because of my family.  It will involve doing new things together as well as continuing on tradition.  It will really mean so much: big things and little things.

One of the definitions of family is:

any group of persons closely related by blood, as parents,children, uncles, aunts, and cousins

So, what is your word?  Will you even think of a word, or just set a resolution?
Or neither?
Or both?

Good luck!

Happy New Year!!

Eat Pray Love

When the book, Eat, Pray, Love first came out it was a phenomenon.  The author, Elizabeth Gilbert, was celebrated by Oprah herself; which probably took care of any money concerns she had.  (For those of you who read the book you know about her money concerns).

I read the book when it first came out and LOVED it.  I read the book again, recently, as part of the Book Club of which I am a member.  I loved it again.  It is a wonderful book about a spiritual journey that ends up healing the author in ways she probably never knew were possible (with God all things are possible).  I loved how it wasn't about a specific religion, just about her relationship with God.  Which is what all religions are about.  What difference does it make if you belong to one and I belong to another?  What matters is your spiritual relationship with God (or, the Almighty Peanut-Butter, whatever you chose to call It).  As Ketut (a character in the book) said, "when people start talking about religion, just smile and nod and say 'I absolutely agree with you' and then go home and do your own meditations or prayers, whatever you believe..."

When I heard about the movie I was excited.  First of all, I love going to the movies, and secondly, this movie was going to be shot on location in Italy, India and Bali.  I couldn't wait to see big, sweeping, panoramic views of the locations and dream about going to all of them.  Plus, I thought Julia Roberts was a pretty good choice to play Elizabeth Gilbert given that they are both pretty tall, lanky women.

Well, folks.  The movie was a big disappointment.
sad sad sad 

Now, I know there is never a movie based on a book that will be as good as the book.
Did you understand that??  

However, this was just sad sad sad

One of the things that I dislike about movies based on books is when 'they' add something into the movie that NEVER happened in the book.
(like, the Burrough being set on fire?  What was that all about?).
Why not just add more stuff from the book?
I know there are things that will have to be left out so the movie isn't 20 hours long, but don't just add things that were never part of the story!!  Come on people!!

Anyway, before I get overly excited, *ahem* let me just tell you that you should most definitely read the book, Eat Pray Love, if you have not already.  However, don't bother paying $10 to see the movie.  Wait until it's on TV if you want to catch it--it probably won't be too long before it is!