It’s almost 2020, can you believe it? Who knew we would make it to this very symmetrical milestone of 2020! The end of a decade and 20 years into the millennium! As we move forward into all that this year has to offer, it may help to have a word to guide us through our journeys and adventures — trips we take internally within our souls or within the circumstances of our lives or on actual road trips across the country! YES to all of the above!

A Word of the Year can be like a beacon and anchor to guide us when we feel ourselves in turmoil or spinning out but also to a place to lean into and to say YES to when we are receiving great JOY! 

This past year, my word was TRUST. Oh how I leaned on that word over and over and over again. It was like a comforting friend to turn to that word perhaps almost daily in this life to reassure me or give me courage or grant me patience. I find that each year’s word travels with me into the next. 

This year, my Word of the Year is BLESSED! I have never actually chosen the word that I have so embraced in my art and blogging as my actual Word of the Year! So after much, much, much deliberation about what my Word should be, this is the word I have chosen, and I could not be happier. What seemed so very complicated in the choosing suddenly became clear when I realized that BLESSED embodied all of the other words that I was thinking about but couldn’t land on — grace, abundance, cleave, connected, align, etc.

BLESSED has the right buoyancy of lightness and solidity that I’m looking for this year. Yes, for me, the word BLESSED will serve as a great guiding mantra throughout 2020 and for the rest of my life!

Now...you go! Please post your Word of the Year in the Comments section below. The sharing is part of this wonderful, annual ritual of community! Invite your friends to share.

For those of you who have participated before, you know what to do! Please share your word with us in the comments section below. For those who are new, think of a word that will inspire, motivate, cajole, catapult, launch and ignite you throughout the year! I so look forward to reading everyone’s Word this year — I know many of us have had preliminary discussions, and I’m excited to finally read what your word will be! (For those who need some ideas for words, you can look back through the December archives on this blog to see some of the words that people have chosen in years past.)

Lastly, I want to share a sincere thank you to all of you who have read and commented on my blog this year and all of the years prior, for all of you who have been inspired by and/or purchased my artwork, and for everyone who has loved me and who I call friend. May God RICHLY BLESS you in expected and unexpected ways in 2020!!

Much love,
Blessed (for sure)

​(Written by Jane Hart, copyright 2019)

​Abundance. It is everywhere.

We don’t always see it, feel it, recognize it or acknowledge it, but it is everywhere. 

Don’t be deceived when your heart has camped out in the land of lack. 

True story.

I had a free purchase on my Starbucks card that I wanted to save up. I didn’t want to let it go or flow with that free meal. I wanted to save it. Didn’t want to use it and believe that it would come back to me. Nope, I wanted to hold on to that sucker. 

You know, don’t burn the candles because we have to keep them nice. Don’t use the pretty linens because we might mess them up. Don’t use the beautiful cards with sentiments you bought last year to send to someone, they are too nice to send.

Yup. Holding on.

We are so often afraid of lack even though that stance may not be apparent when making decisions. Simple decisions, like I won’t use my free meal on this drive thru, I’ll use it on the next.

One day, I had a very conscious thought about holding on to that free meal and not spending it as I pulled up to the Starbucks drive thru window. Nope. Not gonna do it. Gonna hold on tight to that little gift. Feeling good about not receiving or trusting there is more to come. I’m going to pay for this meal.

I get to the window.

The barista drive thru person says to me, “Do you see that nice little lady pulling away?” I said, “Yes.” She said, “Well, she just paid for your order.”

Astounded. Anointed. Fully received. 

Now, I had not just ordered some 2 dollar cup of coffee…I got the chai latte with almond milk; I got a petite scone; I got a full meal. Price? $12.

She paid for my order.

I felt loved. So unexpected. I felt moved. She didn’t even know me.

Something so simple made my day. Slam dunk.

I had to laugh because I still had that free meal on my card, and I’m still holding on.

True story continues.

About a week later...ok maybe 2 days later, let’s face it I’m a Starbucks fan…I order the same order. The same exact order…the chai, the scone, the meal. This time, this time, I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna use the free meal on my card.

I pull up, same drive thru, and there is confusion and commotion and miscommunication and my order is well, screwed up. Bottom line…I don’t pay for my order. Thanks Starbucks. $12 

Next visit, not gonna use my free purchase. This time, however, I make a mistake. I am handed my chai, but I don’t realize that I have already placed it into the cup holder, and I tell the barista guy, “Wait I never got my chai.” He looks in my car like I’m hiding something (turns out I was but had no idea during my memory lapse) and then says, “Ok, sorry I’ll get it for you.” I’m sort of irritated by how long I’m having to wait, but then he comes to the car with the chai, and I smile and say thank you and drive off. 

When I go to put my chai in the cup holder, however, there is already a chai there. I sort of felt like Maude in the movie Harold and Maude when the officer stops her about a stolen tree, and she says, “Will that be all?” and zooms away! Ha.

I then take the extra unpaid for chai to a person who doesn’t know me but works in a business that I frequently visit. I say, “Anyone want a free chai latte?” The worker behind the desk looks surprised, astounded and then quickly looks around to see who she will have to barter with to win the drink.” She is happy, she feels loved, she is moved.

Two full meals and a chai gifted to me in the midst of my mindset of holding on.

Do you see how the abundance flows and flows and flows? 

You can’t arrange all of this and you can’t stop it! 

That is the amazing news! Abundance is a gift! 

You can provide it for someone else and you can receive it and that’s about it. But abundance is everywhere.

All of this started when I decided I was going to hold on to something and not let it go!!! Do you see the irony!?

Now, I still have that meal on my card. 

I finally use it. 

I smile and I drive away with my “Free Meal”.

In this holiday season, RECEIVE the abundance that is around you. GIFT that abundance to others whether through presents, time, energy, presence, etc. 

I believe that random acts of kindness are truly physiologically healing. So keep them top of mind this season. I’m thinking I’m going to buy 20 $5 gift cards to randomly hand out in the next couple of weeks. Make someone’s day through the unexpected.

Of course, the analogies for the Christmas season here are endless — we are gifted with abundance we didn’t expect and that continues in the birth of Christ — an amazing gift that we can open every single day, a gift we can share and the abundance never runs out.

Think about that...abundance that never runs out. It’s true!

Stay awake! Keep alert! Look for opportunities to receive and to flow goodness everywhere you go in the next few weeks and year to come.
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God bless each and every one of you and thank you for the abundance of visiting my site, caring about me, buying my artwork!! Thank you, thank you! You are all great abundant blessings to me!!

Have something you want to say? We would love to hear from you in the comments below!
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Love,
Blessed

(Written by Jane Hart, copyright 2019)