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“Calloused Hands and a Tender Heart”
A year in review, a life ahead
I couldn’t locate the original source for the phrase “a tender heart and calloused hands” but it is officially the theme for my next several months.
Perhaps my next 2 years.
I typically begin my new year with the Spring Equinox in March, so I will be preparing myself for that season. My wind down into hibernation has already begun.
12:55 pm. December 19th.
As I wrap up the year, I have gathered some materials and a key (zero cost) resource that I find simple and powerful. The Year Compass.
A resource to share
The “Year Compass” was created by a team of intentional people in Budapest. It has become a favorite (20 page) tool of mine. You use it to reflect on the past, feel your feelings, and plan your movement forward. You can do it with a group or as a family, or as an individual. They have provided prompts to guide you all along the way. You gather old calendars and journals and you review each week and think back through the time you’d spent. Then you decide what gets carried forward, and what will be replaced.
Feel free to take a copy for yourself.
Callouses and Tenderness
Given my goal to raise chickens in the next 8 months, and take a solo trip internationally, I anticipate there will be lots of lessons to learn. I don’t believe I will end up with literal callouses on my hands; But for sure, the amount of repetitive pressure I’ll feel to keep the chickens alive, and collect my first eggs, will require some tenacity. I am hoping to use this particular bucket list desire as a gateway drug to doing even more activities that apply pressure to me, while I focus on remaining malleable and tender. Using the “Year Compass” helped me to uncover how learning to swim and simultaneously train for a sprint triathlon influenced other areas of my life and personality.
Did I drown? No.
Did I place? No.
Did I finish. Yes.
Looking back over how you show up across a myriad of scenarios will teach you a few things about yourself.
I want more of that.
Happy compassing…