Quests for Light: 2017 in Review, Hopes for 2018

Time to look back and ahead!

A quiz on Facebook last December gave me the following predictions for 2017:

· A journey that will change your life

· A year of success and growth

· You can look forward to new friendships

· Good health will make you happier than ever

I did take several trips that were great changes to my daily routine. From a family trip to Florida to two concerts in Chicago and another live show in Milwaukee, it was a year of variety. I developed new friendships on social media from a range of interests and have shared my book with some people I did not know of in 2016, but who have taught me some important lessons this year. My health is pretty good- I’ve bobbled some lately, but I feel on the mend and have continued to run, dance and lift weights routinely.

To me, these are all lights. Lights that brightened my outlook and fed my body, mind and spirit.

Blog:

I had hoped to receive 10,000 hits and reach 6 continents on verbostratis.com. While I am suspicious of some of Google’s data, I believe I can legitimately claim the 6 continents at least. People in Columbia, India, Ireland, Australia, Canada and Kenya all saw my blog. I’m also up to over 1,300 followers in Twitter and I’ve also started up another blog just for my book.

My most popular blogs? The power of KPop shone even for me, with 2 of the top 5. The remaining 3 all dealt with dear topics to me and I was glad to see they resonated with others as well. Stronger by Falling, Hopes and Opportunities, and What Drives You Forward? all deal with getting back up amongst struggle.

Book:

I published Dear Teachers on April 30, 2017. I’ve sold 32 copies on Amazon and distributed an additional 114 as either direct sales or gifts. Not bad for a completely cold start-up without advance advertising. I’m so grateful for everyone who have given my book a try!! Taking expenses into account, I’m only about $250 in arrears overall and have learned so many things!

Published articles:

I had 3 articles accepted and published on websites this year. It was fun to try different voices and receive feedback from a variety of editors.

TeachThought's Professional Development Blog, July 8, 2017

Dear Teachers: Don’t Forget To Take Care Of Yourselves

https://wegrowteachers.com/dear-teachers-dont-forget-take-care/

Notre Dame Academy's Fall 2017 Women of Vision magazine

On Being Beautiful...Confidence and Kindness

https://issuu.com/notredameacademy/docs/wov_fall_2017/4

Beyond Type 1’s Share Your Stories blog

To Love, Honor and Cherish

https://beyondtype1.org/love-honor-cherish/

Looking to 2018:

I am thoroughly enjoying the writing process, however, I need to improve the monetization of my ventures. The reality of life is barging in on my craft, but that’s OK! It’s as it should be. I will continue writing. I will continue networking. I have published a book of my own words and that’s what I sought to achieve.

My goals for 2018 are vague. When I try to picture myself in 12 months, I just hope to feel connected. 2017 was excitement and change. 2018, I just want a better sense of place. I have a rough draft of another book, but it is disturbing me. I’m not sure where it will take me. I have another book idea of chapter titles that I could begin to flesh out and ½ of a novel that I really should complete, too. Perhaps this wintertime will help me reflect and nurture something as I pause by the hearth. I’d also like to explore a script idea for a video I have with someone with that kind of experience.

One thing I was reminded of in 2017 was that there are amazing people around the globe. Huge hearts. Huge brains. Huge lives of drive and conviction, seeking to breathe life into amazing ideas. It’s not all gloom. It’s not all hate and anger. My voice is one voice. There are many others. The more we speak out, the more defined our links will become, and the stronger we will become.

I guess that’s what I really want for 2018: to experience and be a part of helping light rise out of the darkness. Let’s all be a part!

November Thoughts: Light or Dark Crossroads

Near the shore, huddled fowl do bob, their

Observant eyes tracking prey and gulls alike.

Vibrant mounds of shed leaves abound,

Ending their summer life to cold autumn’s rot.

Maybe it will snow, perhaps it will sleet

By the time night falls across this scene.

Enjoy the light whilst we can, I cry.

Remember to keep the spark of life inside.

This time of year can be dangerous in the Northern Hemisphere. Everything is withdrawing: light, temperature, life-forces. Trees shed, animals migrate. The world wants to rest and protect. It’s so easy to turn this opportunity to rest and reflect into a cloak of darkness. Viewpoints can become shaded by feelings of helplessness and loneliness.

November can be a reminder to come back to our truths. In summer’s robust madness, we can lose sight of our ultimate goals. Or, we may have discovered something in our fun explorations that we need to consider further. This is a perfect time to do that.

We are not hopeless.

We each have means to affect ourselves and those around us. I was reminded of this today with the announcement that BTS has signed a longterm deal with UNICEF to help world youth. As stated on their new website love-myself.org,

“Children and teens have the right to pursue their lives in safety and happiness and to grow with love and care. At this very moment, however, some of them are falling victim to various levels of violence. Many of them are unable to enjoy their fair share of chances to dream of a healthy future.”

This is a huge task they are taking on. Bullying. Physical abuse. Sexual abuse. Violence towards those you feel aren’t like you. Can they fix everything? No. Can they try? Yes. Can you and I help through our deeds or develop our own plans? Yes.

Yes. Now. Always. Together.

That’s the key we need to hold onto: Yes. That’s the spark of life. It’s hope. It’s optimism. It’s what can get us up in the morning when darkness wants to linger and root itself inside us.

I wrote When's It Gonna Change? Right Now. in response to the song, Change, that BTS’s leader, RM, did with rapper Wale this spring. The song declares that today’s young adults need to stand up and with each other. Clearly, this Unicef deal was in the works during this collaboration. All this effort is a great example for us all (young, old and everyone in between): don’t give up and don’t just think of yourself. Look for opportunities and try.

Try. Try. Try.

Sunbeams in Our Lives

Today’s thoughts revolve around a phrase I just used to describe a friend: you’re a sunbeam.

Of course, I was reminded of The Temptations’ My Girl, “I've got sunshine on a cloudy day”. Now we all have that earworm to enjoy. We’ve had some gorgeous, sunny days this week but today broke wet and overcast. That dear, sweet sun is hiding for a while.

That doesn’t mean we see no sun. Just as in the song, we can feel sun-like warmth from those around us. There are people whose spirits flare brilliantly warm and comforting and we are drawn to their radiance instinctively. This person is one of those bright souls.

The cool thing is, we can all cast a glow!

Believe there is potential.

We must first have a mindset that good things can happen. With a growth mindset, there’s hope and hope is a critical weapon against the root of darkness: pessimism. If our view is fixed (thinking “That’s just the way things are.”), we see no point in trying. Sure, we may be using this technique to protect ourselves from hurt but we also shut out the opportunities to revive ourselves as well. When we look at life with some flexibility, our attitudes  and auras brighten.

Reach out to others.

There’s real truth behind the phrase “Many hands make light work”. Once we see potential in life, we can readily stretch ourselves out to our fellow human beings. Ask for help. Offer to help. Speak up. Speak out. The act of exchanging with others, whether something big or small, changes us. I’m reminded of the quilts and knit caps handmade and donated to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) that comforted us with the premature birth of our first son. Solidarity lightens the heart and outlook.

Love yourself.

When we think of ourselves, it it with loving eyes? Can we look in the mirror and tell that person they are good enough now and can do good things going forward? If we can’t do that, the lenses we are using will inevitably gray down the world we see and our potential to shine. When we struggle with feelings of self-worth, we fall into that pit of pessimism I talked of in the first point.

We all see problems in the world. We all have heartaches and struggles. Some experience so much darkness I cannot even begin to know how they manage. Yet, as Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

It’s worth the effort to be as big of a sunbeam as we can be!