Exhilarate

FIRST. You people. Thank you thank you thank you. You said the kindest things to me yesterday and I am so fortunate to have you all, lifting me up like a bunch of helium-filled balloons that never, ever deflate and hang creepily around dark corners in the house, unlike real helium-filled balloons.

Anyway. Also. You all suggested some great prompts! I am noting them all in my prompt book. I will start using them January 1st.

#reverb10 day 28 – Achieve. What’s the thing you most want to achieve next year? How do you imagine you’ll feel when you get it? Free? Happy? Complete? Blissful? Write that feeling down. Then, brainstorm 10 things you can do, or 10 new thoughts you can think, in order to experience that feeling today. (Author: Tara Sophia Mohr)

What do I want to achieve next year? I want to publish something. Not on this blog. Somewhere else.

I imagine I will feel exhilarated, relieved, terrified.

Exhilarated is the first word that came to mind. Like jumping out of a plane might feel, if I ever jumped out of a plane, which is not going to happen. I want to NOT jump out of a plane. Why does that keep springing to mind? Is my subconscious trying to kill me? Just so that I don’t try to publish something? Harsh critic, subconscious.

Exhilaration. I like that word a lot. It’s a cross between “exhale” and “accelerate” (not etymologically, but in my head). Excellent is in there, too. I wonder if I associate it with excellence and that’s why it’s so appealing. No. I don’t want to be excellent. A “B” is good enough for me.

Ten things I can do / think to create instant exhilaration

1. Imagine opening the acceptance letter (or email)
2. Run fast without carrying anything
3. Breathe deeply and sit up straight
4. Cold shot of gin
5. Dance with the children to “Come on Eileen”
6. Plan my interview with Jian Gomeshi
7. Sing
8. Imagine driving in a convertible down a winding highway, heading to a meeting where I will sign a contract to be a Superstar of Something Exciting
9. Listen to music, loud, through headphones
10. Imagine it is the end of 2011 and I am reading this list over, laughing because I made it all happen.