Susan Palmer's Exquisite Now

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  • The auspicious beginning

    Bring it on! In her book on making changes, behavioral economist Katy Milkman calls it the fresh start effect. Everybody else calls it New Year’s resolutions. I love them and I do them, and sometimes they do me proud.

    Buying and reading Milkman’s book “How to Change” gave me a suite of tools to help subtract habits that no longer serve and add elements to my life that challenge my inner procrastinator.

    I go back to Milkman’s book when I lose focus or feel myself slipping backwards, and I like the fact that her book frankly acknowledges change is hard. Dieting is my perennially great example. Since losing almost 20 pounds a couple of years ago, I have to weigh in daily or I forget that I can’t blithely eat whatever looks yummy out there. I require tactics. I have to watch myself. I no longer fight this fact. I work with it.

    But tactics and tools (the psychological equivalent of hammers, saws, drills, etc.) aren’t visionary. For that I need two additional elements: first a strong sense of purpose, something that reminds me just what I’m here for. Once I have that, I need mentors, people who inspire me as well as show me how they work and play. My writing mentors inspire with their work habits, writing techniques and general creativity. My art mentors excite me with their ability to see what’s around them and then make something amazing from their vision. My dance mentors give me space to explore my mind-body selfscape. My spiritual mentors help me find a way to be in the world but not of the world. These mentors don’t want me to be like them, they want me to know myself and live the best version of me that I can.

    Looking back over the past 12 months, I’m satisfied with the things that got done. I’m releasing the things that turned out to be aspirational. Maybe they’ll circle for a landing in 2025. And on January 1, I’ll take a few hours to consult my inner oracle for guidance on the next 365 days.

    Happy new year, friends. May you know or become familiar with your heart’s desire. May you find the mentors and tools that will lead you on that path.

  • One new thing

    When my good friend Stephanie Barrow throws down a challenge, I can’t help but take it up.

    OK, Steph. This year I’m taking the watercolor plunge, trying something new to keep on building those new neural pathways for a healthy brain.

    Got me some Inktense watercolor pencils, a cool little water brush thingie, a book for messing around in and fresh inspiration.

    Going slow. Starting with just understanding what the colors are and how they blend.

    And for going forward, despite lack of skill or knowledge, I’ll keep in mind this quote from the wondrous artist Georgia O’Keefe:  I’ve been absolutely terrified every moment of my life and I’ve never let it keep me from a single thing that I wanted to do.

    You can find more O’Keefe quotes here: https://www.denverartmuseum.org/en/blog/10-quotes-georgia-okeeffe

  • Need inspiration?

    Rule of life: Always have friends that inspire you to be a better person.

    Meet my dear friend Stephanie Barrow. An artist and designer, not to mention a gardener with a magical touch (Her personal slogan: Art and gardens everywhere!) she takes a kind of fearless approach to life, to trying new things, to embrace whatever may be coming next. Last year, she challenged herself to create art daily, anything from a doodle to a full-on painting. And she did it. And those of us blessed to know her got to tag along because she made videos of this journey.

    Here’s what she’s up to for the coming year: https://www.vandoodleart.com/

    What a gift to have her in my life.