#reverb: One Word

Guts.

Kind of a gross word, but if I had to sum up my 2010 in one word it would be that. Guts. When I think back to some of the things I've done this year, I can't believe I had the guts to do them - pack up a U-haul van and drive 4 dangerously icy days with my then-beau from Dallas to NYC in January; moving here while unemployed; quitting a secure day job to pursue my business full-time; ending the comfort and familiarity of a 3+ year relationship with the person I partially moved to NYC to be with.

In the moments of making these decisions there were some things I knew for sure, but for the most part each instance felt like jumping off a high cliff with no certainty of landing safely. The one thing that resonated with each decision was a Buddhist proverb that always pops into my head when dealing with the unknown:

"If we are facing in the right direction, all we have to do is keep on walking."

And so I walk...and when I'm feeling not quite as strong as I'd like to feel, I just think of the one word that sums up this year: guts.

And as for 2011? Haha, let's see...I think the most accurate word would be...determination. It's kind of a blah word, but I get goosebumps when I think about what it means for me in the coming year. Focused determination to take my business to the next level, to get out of my creative comfort zone, to take more chances, get to know more people, get out there...now that the hurdle of getting settled in NYC has passed, the heartache of a broken relationship is fading, the fear of being trapped in a nightmare day job is no longer relevant...it's time to get laser focused on moving things to the next level.

This post is part of a daily writing project called #reverb10. Find out more & join in this creative exercise here.