Guidance painting by Ting Yuen

Today, a friend of mine said to me that she doesn't care about fame or fortune and all she really wants is "to be Free, live life, savor it and roll in it". And I thought to myself "isn't that everybody's dream"?
But are we working towards Freedom? I know it sounds oxymoron that we have to work on being Freed. Because Freedom doesn't mean we just sit around all day and do nothing. Freedom means we get to do what we love to do all day long. So how do we get there, "Strategic Planning".
For instance: How do you quit the job that you dislike that is sucking the life out of you? or How do you get yourself out of debt that is weighing you down?
By taking baby steps, it may mean you need to take a course to get your dream job or it may mean you need to take on a part time job just so that you can pay off your debt.
Whatever it takes, we need to be pro-active towards gaining the freedom that we need and design the life that we crave. No matter how difficult it is we need to implement that first step. Before we know it, freedom will become our reality. I know it is not easy my friends but we are made for difficult things, we have the smarts and the strength.

If you have enjoyed this post please leave me a comment. And if you have a story to share on how you have gained freedom through your determination please share as well. I would love to hear about it.

With honor in mind and in spirit,
​Ting xoxo

Hello friends and family, So it is a brand new year. I love new year, new hopes, dreams, resolutions and goals, the list goes on. But how many times have I ran out of steam and motivation after two months into the year? The answer is too many times.

I started making a difference in my goal setting last year and I have to say it was the first time that I stuck with it through the entire year because I set myself small goals and good timeline to accomplish each of my goals. I wasn't over the moon with overtly ambitious tasks, just simple bite size tasks.

This year I have bigger fish to fry and really needed to get down to the nitty gritty of stuff so I did another research on how to get things done and stumble on this amazing life coach Christine Kane and she has this useful tool to help you to figure out your Word of the Year.  And what I am about to share with you is just a summary (I have linked her Tool for you to try it out) , I loved it and I found it precise and easy to follow.

So here is my word of the year: Persistence
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PART 1 / CLARITY: KNOW YOUR WHY

Persistence is my word of the year because it is a year of growth. With growth comes challenges therefore I need to be persistent and work through all my challenges. If I embodied this word daily, I would be more patient and more accepting therefore less frustrated and overwhelmed.

Although I do have the determination to see things through and my willingness to learn embody the word Persistence, my problem is letting my emotions get in the way of my progress. I have to remind myself that being overwhelmed, impatient and discouraged are not conducive to accomplishing anything in life. I believe a lot of my negative behaviors are due to lack of sleep and self care.

And I know if I lived by this word, I could strengthen my business by creating brand awareness through social media connection. I would be able to create free online resources for artists and hobbyist alike. Eventually my goals are to create online courses and teaching workshops. 
 
On my personal life, if I were to embody this word, I would travel more, reward myself and celebrate more. I would prioritize my time for yoga and workout. My other priority in life is to create more quality time with my loved ones.

PART 2 / AWARENESS: KNOW YOUR TRIGGERS

There are three things that make me shrink or run the other direction when it comes to my word and they are:
1. Fear of the unknown, the discomfort-abilities of new territories.
2. Fear of being ridiculed: I am an introvert, I find it really difficult to put myself out there.
3. Fear of being too tired to accomplish all the things that I set myself to do.

There are also other factors that have kept me from living this word until now. My biggest set back was operating my business on auto pilot, doing the same thing everyday without questioning what is beyond what I already know. I thought to be an artist, all I had to do was to paint and come up with a collection every year and I was completely wrong! And my discomfort of connecting through social media for business has also set me back.

And the habits that could assist me in embodying this word fully are self care, expand my business knowledge consistently and tackle the technology world with courage, lastly I need to be less independent and ask for help whenever necessary.

PART 3 / VISION: KNOW YOUR DREAMS

A home run for me would be to find a business location where I can have an "occasion" gallery which means that I would only be open during the busy months which leaves the rest of the year for creating and marketing. I would also like to launch a course four times a year but I would be thrilled to launch just one this year ( my manageable bite size rule). If I can work with my dream schedule, I can really design the life that I would like to live and be able to expand my career, take some time for travelling, volunteer and help others to build a life that they deserve. 

Now it is your time to discover Your Word of the Year.

You actually made it to the end? Good for you, if you have the patience to read my Word of the Year then you would have the patience to utilize this amazing tool to find your Word. Here is the link to your Your Word of the Year tool on how to find the word that is going to propel you to a successful 2019.
  
Now remember in order to make our word truthful we need to embody it and become it and that my friends is how we can make huge changes in our lives! Christine Kane said it well here : 
"Intention is a big, bold, hairy, audacious, all-consuming vision".

​Enjoy the "tool" and please feel free to share your word of the year with me I would love to hear about it. 

​​ "Inspire your life with Art. Let Art be the healer and motivator of your life." 
          With honor in spirit and in mind, Ting xoxo