Two Words for 2012 - Comfortable Boldness

My whole life, I've wanted to feel comfortable in my skin. It's the most liberating thing in the world. (Drew Barrymore)

Fortune befriends the bold. (Emily Dickinson)

Comfortable: relaxed, secure, and in content... It's funny how even the word brings some comfort. We've all experienced it. It's a safe feeling, pure happiness, or emptiness. It's hard to find the right medium & how long you can sustain being uncomfortable. I am a firm believer though that until you let yourself be truly uncomfortable, you can't reap the joys of being truly comfortable. (Shayna Sandlan)

Laugh at yourself, but don't ever aim your doubt at yourself. Be bold. When you embark for strange places, don't leave any of yourself safely on shore. Have the nerve to go into unexplored territory. (Alan Alda )

A comfortable house is a great source of happiness. It ranks immediately after health and a good conscience. (Sydney Smith)

There are many bloggers who name a word for their year. When I created my 12 Intentions for 2012, I was seeking something similar — a focus, a thread, a theme, to weave in and out and through my year.

In 2010, my word was nurture. It was serendipity in 2011. I found the words uplifting, but the overall idea didn't stick. Maybe that's why I struggled to find my word for 2012? As the new year approached, my mind went blank and I almost gave up on the idea altogether.

Then I started reading Style Statement by  Carrie McCarthy and Danielle LaPorte. As I worked through the stories and prompts, I came upon two words: my foundation and my creative edge. As the book explains, "Your foundation word represents your being. Your creative edge is how you express and distinguish your being."

Determining my style statement was like recognizing an old friend. I began to see myself in a new light. Asking myself questions like, "does this represent comfortable? Am I embodying boldness?" helped reveal inner motivations and  began to shed light on why I do what I do.

My words are Comfortable Boldness, for this year and beyond. Using these words as my touchstone, I hope to make decisions and attract opportunities that align with my style statement —with my foundation and creative edge.

Style Statement defines Comfortable Boldness:

Comfortable is the consummate pleasure seeker... In their best form, Comfortable is easygoing, sincerely cheerful, and free from doubt. They can be highly sensitive, and when they feel something in their bones, they will operate with steady determination... Comfortable is body centered, so the priority with fashion and furnishing is comfort.

Boldness has a strong warrior spirit that can translate into risk-taking, maverick ideas, and lively adventures... Do it right, or don't do it at all... They are quite comfortable with uncertainty because they know they can draw on their own daring and multiple resources to fully embrace any situation... They focus forward.

What Comfortable Boldness means to me:

Comfortable is the space between smooth sailing and working to my edge. Comfortable is leaning into my dreams while maintaining a sense of groundedness. Comfortable is carefree and cozy. Boldness is passionate, spicy. Boldness has the guts to follow through. Firm, steady and strong, Boldness leaps fearlessly and loves deeply.

My recommendation on Style Statement:

Read the book from cover to cover, or skip ahead to the exercises in the back. The stories and photos read like a magazine with journal prompts and excises mixed in throughout. This book is most enjoyable when read with a big mug of tea, cozy blankets and the Amelie soundtrack playing in the background.

Image Credits: Open your heart. via lululemon athletica Day 78 / Ready for take-off via Noukka Signe 200.365 - City Love via Jos Liba laughing via lululemon athletica westelm.capiz via coco+kelly

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