ABUNDANCE 2025!

Happy New Year!

I am feeling an enormous shift in my energy as we enter 2025! Doubts and misgivings about what I can accomplish in my art and life are beginning to wane more consistently. That doesn't mean they'll never rear their sad and debilitating heads, but as I look at my own thoughts and actions that result, I'm learning a lot about how I can more proactively direct them.

I believe the reason our country (and perhaps much of the world) is in the state that it is in, is because we have become more familiar and comfortable (on a very subconscious level) with a mentality that is driven by fear and lack rather than one of security and abundance. 

Over time, our brains are conditioned and driven toward what aligns with our deep-seeded beliefs. Our neural pathways have been developed through history, society and our upbringing. If it has negative aspects, (such as fear of lack, anxiety or victim mentality) we are blocked from seeing a vision that is based in compassion and generosity—one that offers an understanding that there is "enough" for everyone.

I have experienced this fear and anxiety throughout my life. So much so that my partner has nick-named me "Worst Case Scenario". And sure enough, I fall into its trap again and again.

On day two of the wonderful Julebyen festival in Knife River, I arrived at the tent where I (and all of the vendors) had left our wares overnight. I had NEVER left my work like this before for fear of something happening to it. Once I had everything unpacked and set up, I realized I was missing one bin full of art. It was all of my 8x10 matted bird images. I looked through every single space and peeked into every bin (or so I had thought) multiple times to confirm that yes, it appeared someone had stolen it. 

I felt all of those emotions of having been victimized. I asked other vendors if they were missing anything (No, their items were just as they had left them). I told a few shoppers and friends why I was so upset, and of course, this affected them as well. 

In essence, I had spun a big story around what I thought to be true and I spent the entire day fretting about it. As I was packing up my things and pulling every small bin out from under the tables, I found my "missing" bin. It was right there all along.

How many times each day do we tell ourselves scary stories about what we are experiencing or what we think might happen in the future? What do these fears keep us from trying? The fact is, even when we think we know what is going on, we may need to take a closer look.

This is why I am choosing ABUNDANCE as my word of the year for 2025! It will help me redirect my neural pathways from those of fear and lack toward one of connectedness and fullness. I plan on practicing a daily meditation and tuning in to what it feels like to be cradled by all that is beautiful—trees, waterways, animals and people who love me.

Shoot me a note and tell me your word of the year and how it might help you grow in 2025!