Those were the exact words running through my mind over and over again while I tried to sleep. I finally got out of bed and wrote them down. Obviously this was an important message.

I’m glad I did that! These words have continued to keep me focused the past few weeks and I’m expecting them to last me the entire year. 

They are my “words of the year.”

For the past five years, I’ve been following Christine Kane’s method of choosing a word for the year rather than making “resolutions.” You can try it too, just click on this link: https://christinekane.isrefer.com/go/WOTY2015/Patrice1

Last year my word was “risk” and my plan was to take more of them.

While I didn’t do any daredevil stunts, I did enter (and win) a contest from SCORE last February, which included an all-expenses paid trip to Phoenix to attend a small business conference.

Then, before I even sent my entry in, I saw a real, live Wallaby alongside the road in the Ko`Olau Mountains! I felt like a winner even before I’d won the official prize.

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This year of “Sweet Sixteen” calls for more. It’s time for me to “step things up another notch.” 

It’s time for me to be more up front about what it is that I do through my art and my teaching (clarity of purpose), and focus on getting my message out to you and to more people.

Clarity of Purpose: 
I paint the essence of living aloha; and I teach others to paint so they can more easily access their creative inner self to enrich their lives.

Painting is more than something to do or to see. Paintings can be a way to help people grow in their ability to connect with their inner being, and thereby become their very best self!

You can connect more to your inner self by feeling the energy in my paintings AND/OR by learning to paint using my methods.

Singularity of Focus:
That could be a little harder because I have at least four, make that FIVE, areas of focus: Painting, Teaching, Writing, Business, and PLAY. 

Play time and down time are extremely important to a “solo-preneur,” —and often the first to get cut from my schedule. Not good!

I’ve laid out my year in broad brushstrokes. The details will be filled in as the days and weeks progress. 

Paintings work that way too. 

We start out painting big shapes, with broad brushstrokes, and we fill in the details as we continue to paint.

“God” is in the details (many people say it’s the “devil,” but I disagree). While it’s true the details can trip us up, they are also where we discover the most information (this is a clue for me and for you).

I've been a fan of Christine Kane'sblog and eZine for about a year. On December 31, 2009, I worked an exercise she offered her readers: The Word of the Year Discovery Tool.

Wow, I mean, WOW!!!!!!! What a wonderful tool!

Through a series of questions, Christine guided me to discover the word that would intuitively propel me into 2010 in a powerful way. I journaled for about thirty minutes and when I was finished, I was energized! I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that my word for 2010 is Connection.

I intend to powerfully feel my connection: to my inner self; to my art; to my family and friends; to YOU, my collectors; to the Universe; to all things and all beings.

On New Year's Day, Keanu and I went to see the movie, Avatar. Imagine my pleasant surprise when I realized the powerful theme throughout the movie is the interconnection of all things.

There I sat, beaming at the screen, feeling my connection to this fascinating movie!

The next evening, my friend Diana came to paint wine glasses with me and Keanu. Together we painted a collaborative glass in memory of the Tree of Life in Avatar. It's a bit difficult to see in this photo, but the tree itself is painted in black and the luminescent leaves are white.

If you haven't seen the movie, watch it in 3-D. The graphics are amazing; it's a lot of fun! Go ahead, watch the movie and let me know what you think. Imagine how connected we will feel.