May 2023 Theme: Animation

For each month of 2023, I’m choosing a single word to inspire action. I did a similar experiment throughout 2020. Having something to focus on helped focus my attention on improving in a single dimension over the course of the month. Even a word can inspire action, calm, comfort, and overall progress in a targeted direction.

This is the fifth theme of this year. If you’re curious, you can read about the past months and how each of them went.

• January: Depth
• February: Garden
• March: Routine
• April: Passion
• May: Animation!

Why animation? I was looking out for words that had connotations of action, liveliness, and adventure. Being animated. I wanted a theme that would inspire me to enjoy the month, but still push me (slightly).

The quality or condition of being alive, active, spirited, or vigorous.

One of many definitions of “animation”

Animation, in the artistic sense, is about breathing life into something – in this case myself. I’m aiming to use this theme to change my mindset for the summer. Here’s how I’m hoping to use this theme.

Think of Myself as Active

Last year on May 2nd, I tore the ACL in my right leg. Rather than a summer of hiking and backpacking around Utah, I was stuck in bed recovering from surgery.

The recovery process has taken much longer than I expected. It’s been 9 months since surgery so far. Last week I received the great news that I’ve completed physical therapy! 🥳

Although I’m done working with a PT, I still have a long ways to go to where my right leg feels equal to my right. My strength is about 80% of the way there so far. But my quad muscle (which was harvested) has had a rough time growing back. I’ve been going to the gym twice a week and focusing on my leg muscles which have helped immensely.

Now I want to think of myself as active and animated again (even while also loving staying in bed some days to program 😅).

Get More In Touch With Myself

Part of being “animated” is being in touch with my own emotions. I recently watched Kevin Smith’s great Mental Health Talk, and it got me wondering what trauma or events from my past have influenced my life – and how.

That’s something I’d like to journal about this month to further understand. Like many people, one part of his talk that resonated with me is downplaying my own traumatic events as “not that bad”. It’s possible for those to stick with you like a splinter. They need attention too, and I’d like to spend some time journaling to see what’s been neglected.

How’d it Go?

Once the month is up I’ll update this post with how it went.