SAVOR - check in

In January, along with thousands(?) of other bloggers, I selected a word and wrote about its meaning to me as my "word of the year."  I did a journaling exercise yesterday to check in and and see how I'm doing living into that word and maybe, I think, it's working for me. 

SAVOR is turning out to be a perfect word for the this year as I am blessed with existing and near future opportunities in which I can relax, relish, and wallow in the word.  Opportunities of love, travel, mind expansion, improving my well body image for my age (there's a lot of rhetoric about age/activity/what's normal, what's acceptable - wrapped up on that last phrase, but I won't digress into that subject right now!) I want to savor the goodness which I am steeped in every day.  Life is too good to forget!

Embracing and living the word savor on a daily basis means, for me, that my inner self is capable of shining and expanding.  That growth and shine undoubtedly reflects, even if only a little, on those I meet on a daily basis, with their pleasure in receiving often being reflected back to me and maybe even to others.  It seems a small effort with a big return result.

I attempt to live and embody this word by sharing it verbally with those I encounter in and through my blogsite.  By savoring the goodness of one's life, I believe I/we/you can expand and heal ourselves both inwardly and outwardly - literally strengthening our personal brain's capacity and power.

In reflecting upon savoring, I wonder why I would ever shrink from such a word, a concept; perhaps these reasons?

Carelessness, ennui, selfishness, lack of awareness for all the goodness in which I am surrounded; shrinking from the word and idea, for me, is to be unappreciative, ungrateful.  Perhaps I can take steps to raise my awareness  by slowing down, stopping, assessing where I am; by taking those deep bellows breaths that my yoga instructor is always touting; by smiling, my favorite of all exercises.  Smiling, meaning it and offering up a thanksgiving prayer for the ability of recall

I've been given a golden opportunity this year and am living it now; a wonderful time away from home and the cold to being here on the island of Maui.  What more delightful savoring can be done than just being here, sharing physical intimacy with my beloved spouse, feeling the soft breeze, hearing and seeing the ocean, snorkeling with fishes and the huge turtle of the day this a.m., then sharing those delights with you and with each other.

I hope that even if you are still seeing snow come down, or maybe you even have a cold, or as so many are right now - out of work - that somewhere in your day you can find a moment to savor that which is good in your life.  Savor for yourself, share with others, offer up thanksgiving.  

If you have any personal savoring experiences of today or this week or this year, I'd love to hear about them.  In the meantime - enjoy and SAVOR.