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Kelley Rose's avatar

It's my ever-present journal (more like a commonplace book) of ideas that resonate as truth. It's a collection of the pasted, scribbled, remembered, borrowed moments that anchor me to the stories I want to frame my life around -- intentionally. It's an anchor of what I know and what I'd like to pay forward. It's well-loved pages and volumes are visited weekly. It's my equivalent of a comfort blanket :).

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Carla Birnberg's avatar

I love that. And where I am today I read comfort, blanket and immediately translated it in my brain to weighted comfort blanket.

Ballast versus anchor.

I think I’m pretty good at staying right side up – – right now I’m seeking tethering. Weighted comfort blanket of the journal.

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Debbi's avatar

Yes. [smile]

My late husband's default was no. He had to be talked into just about anything we did together. So the past year has been practicing saying yes to anything that felt right to me – invitations, trips, listening to new-to-me music, etc. And it worked so well, that I absolutely DO want 'say yes' to be my anchor for life.

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Carla Birnberg's avatar

This makes me smile so freaking big.

Also, I love that you’re commenting!

I’ve gotten a number of private messages about the anchors – – not private things, but the transition from WordPress to Substack people were trying to figure out the HOW of commenting :-)

So many interesting approaches to anchors. Now I want us to do some sort of a follow up a year from now.

🤍🤍

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Debbi's avatar

Following up is a good incentive for following through!

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Carla Birnberg's avatar

And more than accountability (which it is :-)) for me it's also the power of community.

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Debbi's avatar

My anchor for the past year has been "say yes." And last month it ended up on my wrist at the tattoo studio.

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Carla Birnberg's avatar

I LOVE THIS (she shouts, potentially being over caffeinated at 5 AM).

And it feels more powerful to me because it’s not time bound.

Actually, now I’m curious—-> I’ve made the assumption since it’s a tattoo it’s not time bound that you want ‘say yes’ to be the anchor for the rest of your days?

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Christie Young's avatar

This speaks to me as something that would help. When my mom died 5 years ago, I kept describing my life as feeling unmoored and untethered. My kids leaving home feels very similar and now my dad is having serious health problems and I’m back in that space. I’m going to try to find a symbol of my own. I like that idea.

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Carla Birnberg's avatar

First of all this comment made my nose tingle as we call it around here… that precursor to I could cry.

Starting at the beginning, what you say about losing your mom I have had so many friends use the same language. One said to me since losing my mom I feel like the ground underneath me has vanished.

Sending so much love and compassion around that.

Someday I need to share about the matching tattoos I got with my new 18-year-old on the day she turned 18. When she leaves in August I think that will become an anchor of sorts. So I know how you’re feeling around that.

And this is a monologue not a comment response, but you’ll have that :-) please come back and share what you decide. Those are really really big instances/experiences and yet I know once you find the right symbol it will feel like an exhale of sorts.

🤍

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