Never Give In, Never Give Up: REACH!

Every year my friend makes a scrap book page for her word of the year and it's something that I've started to do too. A word of the year is sort of like a mantra for that year. Last year my word was FEARLESS and I think I lived up to it by chucking in my job and branching out on something completely new. That actually didn't work out as well as I had hoped, but the sentiment was there: Try. DO.

Last year my being fearless did open new doors for me too. It led to my features being published in the SCBWI online magazine Words and Pics (Happy Birthday by the way Words and Pics), it led to me being part of some fantastic writing workshops with the Golden Egg Academy led by the inspirational Imogen Cooper and it led me to start writing again.

This year I didn't want to stray too far from the idea of being fearless, but I have to admit that the whole job situation not quite working out did leave me quite bruised. I wanted a word that would express a desire to remain positive, to not give up, but that wasn't quite so 'in your face'. I chose:

REACH

Here's my scrap book page for it. The quality of the picture is not very good because I am camera-less at the moment and having to borrow my husband's i-phone.

The journalling on the page reads:

Never give in, never give up. 
2014 is the year to keep trying, to keep reaching for my goals. 
Flapping your wings is the first sign of life!

The last sentence links in with the Snow Bird image on the top right hand corner which is a page out of a book. It says:

'Look!' said Jim, 'he's opening and shutting his wings! He's come alive!'

For me this is a reminder that although it can seem easier to just pass through life without taking risks and making mistakes, to really live and and make the most of your life you have to take action - you can't fly if you haven't stretched your wings. So that's what this year is all about. Moving forward, making progress, reaching for all the things that are important to me with hope in my heart and the sky as my limit.