the promised land

Ah December 31. The end of 2010. How quickly that year went by.  Lots of good things happened last year. Some not so good also. I would rate it an "OK" year. Now tomorrow will be 2011. Facebook and Twitter are buzzing as everyone makes New Year's Resolutions. Writing down their goals for the next year. Serious resolutions and plans. Some more humorous. What will the New Year bring? Is this turning over a new leaf.

Now those who have been following my blog know that I am not a big fan of lists or goals. I think they initially start off great but then they get in your way. Sure some can be good. I will exercise daily in 2011. I will only have dessert on the week-ends. Do I want to organize my e-mail better? Keep the house cleaner? The studio?  Sure--but will I? Probably not. Such lists and organization just makes me nervous. Sorry.

I was listening to the radio--a great show I had not heard before called The Promised Land. Interesting conversation with Winona LaDuke, a member of the White Earth Reservation in Upper Minnesota. While her name may be familiar as the Vice Presidential Candidate for Ralph Nader during "that" presidential election--and no, we won't go there--she is now trying to bring wind and solar energy to the Indian Reservation where she lives. The interviewer asks her to close her eyes and describe what she sees as her Promised Land. I like that question.  Winona said she was almost living in her promised land. Isn't that wonderful? Would that be my answer?

I read on Facebook a post by Val Nelson--a wonderful local business coach. She seems so positive and kind.  Let me just quote her words--she says it much better than Iwould:

I say don't bother with new year's resolutions. It has that "have-to" energy and rarely lasts past Jan.15th. (Besides, there is nothing to fix about you!) Instead of resolutions, I like to dream big. Visualize the mountaintop and let it draw you forward. 


Isn't that wonderful? There are so many dreams, so many quilts I want to make. New variations on blue hills. Another variation on rainbows of summer. Getting a selection of new work ready for the Baltimore Craft Show. Pushing my work to new heights. Those for me are the mountaintop. I have been debating whether to apply for a certain craft show. I would get in and do OK if I was there--but does it lead me to the mountaintop? That I am not sure about. Maybe I should do something else?

And you--have you tried dreaming of the mountaintop? What would be your promised land?

A