Mondo Beyondo Part 2

rose_petal_tea.jpg
Rose black tea from Imperial Court Tea House, Canon Digital Rebel

A lot of people have asked about Mondo Beyondo this year, and honestly, in the midst of all my busyness (I have been on the overwhelmed side of life for several months now) I forgot how powerful an exercise it is. I took a moment to re-read the Mondo Beyondo post again and remembered how important it is for us to ritualize the New Year, how January is such a wonderful snow white blank slate upon which to dream.

Something I am learning this year is the importance of not simply dreaming and manifesting, but also “completing” (or finding peace with) what came before. To start the new year with a blank slate we also need to acknowledge everything we need to acknowledge about the previous year. What worked? What didn’t? What were the upsets and failures? What were the successes and joys? What are you proud of and how did you grow? What really sucked?

Once you have said all there is to say about 2005, declare it complete! and move on to the magic of Mondo Beyondo. Then share some of your boldest dreams right here on this site. We want to be inspired by what you are out to create this year and beyond.

I have also been asking my coaching clients to come up with a theme for 2006. The theme could be anything from “The year of Yes” to “The year of quiet”, “The year of Adventure” or “The Year of Self-Care.” The fabulous Swirly Girl started a project this year called 52 figments. It is a weekly creative assignment that you can download from her site. The first assignment is about exactly this…

What is your theme for 2006 and what does your Mondo Beyondo look like?

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Hi, I’m Andrea

On this blog you’ll be learning with me how to use our voices, share our creative superpowers and live life in full color.

As an artist, photographer, life coach + mentor, I’m redefining what it means to be a SUPERHERO — ‘cause in my world, it’s got nothing to do with capes, spandex or sidekicks and everything to do with tenderness, intuition & baby steps of bravery.

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59 Comments

  1. wn

    Andrea, if you don’t mind, I really think I am going to adopt your phrase “the year of yes”
    Thank you for that post, and all of your posts.
    Cheers

  2. Ali

    You know I love this concept.
    My theme for 2006 is peace.

  3. steph

    Learning and growing, an old but refreshing idea. Thank you for reminding me of this.
    My theme for 2006 is finding an inner sanctuary.
    Happy New Year!

  4. Bohemiangirl

    my theme for 2006 is completing…
    because i tend to just dream and manifest too. i’d like to complete some things this year.
    thank you for this inspiration and idea! xoxo

  5. Chookooloonks

    This is my year of creativity. I’m starting an online magazine to help other creative people who’ve never express themselves do so — for artists and writers, primarily. It launches this month, and 2006 will be the year it becomes a resounding success!!
    What a wonderful idea, Andrea!
    K.

  6. stef

    I too like “The Year of Yes!” – it spoke to me and I haven’t stopped thinking about it. Now I really need to start thinking of the Mondo Beyondo list!!!

  7. Lissa

    This is the year of The Book! I’m writing a book and this is the year I complete that book. This is where my passion is. I believe the reason I was born is to follow my passions and the world will be a better place. (I think this is true for all of us!)
    Thanks Andrea!

  8. Anja

    The year of new things.
    I will finish my degree and do new and interesting work. And go new places with the love of my life.
    It’s going to be good.

  9. penelope

    Mine is The Year of Finding Balance:
    Working hard and downtime.
    Caring for others and caring for me.
    Eating right and treating myself.
    Exercising and napping.
    I’m excited!

  10. Felicity

    First of all, the entire idea of Mondo Beyondo is *brilliant* and inspiring, like so many other things I find here at your home on the web. So for perhaps the umpteenth time, Andrea, a big thank you.
    Since your December 27th post, I’ve been calling 06 my “year of YES.” I’m glad I’m not the only one with this idea…at first, reading the other comments, I thought, “Oh no! Someone took my answer!” But then I saw that lots of people want to make it their year of yes, and I thought of all of us out there, running around happily saying Yes, and that made me glad. I want to be part of that posse.

  11. Marilyn

    The Year of Manifestation
    Mondo Beyondo:
    *having a retreat on our CO land
    *building a cabin on our NM land
    *working from home
    *$5 million bucks…I figure I deserve a million for each decade thus far… 😉

  12. MamaChristy

    My Mondo Beyondo: I’m gonna write a book. Maybe I won’t finish it this year, but it’s gonna happen.
    I’m also starting my own online book club this year. It’s gonna be great and provide me all those things my “real” book club can’t give me anymore – insightful comments on interesting books from brilliant women. I can’t wait.

  13. Corey

    The Year of Yes-
    On waking each morning I will smile and throughout the day I will share my smile, and before going to bed I will smile.
    I want to live everyday giving and sharing love.

  14. Jessamyn

    I think I’ve decided that my 2006 is going to be the year of taking control. I have so many years in my recent past where I planned to start a regular exercise program, take my lunch (instead of buying it), stick to a financial budget, write every day, etc. And each year I end up feeling like all or many of these activities or goals are out of my control. It’s one thing to consciously change priorities – it’s another thing to allow my life to get out of my control. So this year, I’m taking control, figuring out what’s important in order to make my life more the way I want it to be.
    Thank you for all of your writing. I’m so glad you’re in the world.

  15. miles

    Lovely shot!
    This year is the year of being done.

  16. Toni

    My Mondo Beyondo 2006 is here:
    http://www.travelswithtoni.com/blog
    I got so much out of it from 2005 that I’ve blogged about it again and encouraged others to join in!
    My 2006 will be “The Year of Success.” Ready to take my freelance writing business to the next level and tackle some health-related stuff successfully, too.

  17. Julia

    In addition to making 2006 my year of “yes”…I am also making it my year of, “do just 1 thing different.” It will all begin by me doing 1 little thing different each day. Whether it be getting up 5 minutes earlier to begin the day with a positive affirmation, or making a healthier food choice at breakfast, throwing out junk mail insread of putting it in a pile on my kitchen table, or whatever. I am hoping that these tiny little postive changes will expand throughout my days to become an effortless part of my routine and by the end of 2006 I will be healthier, more peaceful, more organized. etc… I also think that the Mondo Beyondo list sounds amazing. I am really going to do it this year,and hopefully put some substance into those long range plans and dreams that I keep putting on the back burner. Thanks for your wonderful, helpful ideas and always creative inspiration! 🙂

  18. Meg

    Mondo Beyondo, Mondo Beyondo, YAY!!!!
    I’m going to call 2006 the year of thinking outside the box, or the year of innovation. I’ve gotten a long way by playing by the rules, but now I need to imagine a little more. And on that note…. My Mondo Beyondo (and this is a scary list for me, but here goes): Travel to Europe – England, Italy, France; Own a home; Money in savings; a community of women around me; move to Northern California; Get Married and have a family; work creativly in production – cross over from simple arts administration; start a blog; join a book club.
    And that is terrifying, I’m almost scared to sign my name on it, but lets go… I’m ready to take it on… I’m perhaps daring the Universe a bit. Yikes!! Here goes….
    Thank you Andrea.

  19. G-Man

    My theme for 2006 is “The Sky’s The Limit.” Why set easily accomplished new years resolutions, when you can challenge yourself to new heights?

  20. Sandra

    The mondo beyondo idea sent a delicious thrill through me to think about.
    I think I will declare 2006 the year of living more dangerously.

  21. Christine

    2006 will be the year that I find the self I lost long ago….Finding me in 2006….Thank you Andrea and Happy New Year.

  22. jennifer

    one theme of my mondo beyondo is doing things i’m “not supposed to be doing”…staying in a doctoral program in michigan for the assistantship and health insurance so that i can simultaneously meet with a group of about twenty women in kentucky – where we will nourish our creativity and our voices, confront our fears, and share our writing so that we can help others do the same. this involves lots of money and time and scheduling issues, and long periods away from my four year old son & partner, but i get goose bumps when i think about this chance to claim something out of the ordinary for myself & so, i’m doing it.
    and love. this year i’m going to learn how to let myself love and be loved even though it scares me very much.
    i’m going to display my collages, trust that i’ll get what i need from the universe, be as authentic as i possibly can, even if people think i’m strange. even if i have to work through caring that people think i might be strange.
    what lies beneath all of this is my willingness to go down into the darkness, into whatever i fear, and spend some time with it. as helen luke (and i think she takes this from rumi) suggests, i’m going to be courteous to the monsters, to the scary things. i have learned that when i face my fears i gain something valuable and move forward, but this is something i always have to try and be conscious of – so it has to be on the mondo beyondo list…
    i think that’s a good start 🙂

  23. Jen D

    This is going to be “Jen’s Year of DOING IT”…
    no, not “IT” ;o), but all of the things that I’ve been sitting on, wanting to do, craving to manifest, aching to learn, needing to change, etc. I’m really tired of not pursuing the things that will make my life better. I’ve been in such a personal rut for far too long. 2006 is calling me to take some leaps… of faith and otherwise.
    YES!!!
    loves.

  24. jennifer

    I posted two down about doing things i’m not supposed to be doing but didn’t include the correct url address (fixed now) – and i’m posting again because i’d really like to hear about anyone else who feels like they’re doing what others might think they “aren’t supposed to be doing”…

  25. Amanda

    It’s my ‘Year of Me’. Time to really focus on me and my relationship with myself. Also cut out the things that don’t make me happy and don’t represent who I am. I’m really excited about it. It’s goign to be my best year yet!

  26. maria

    For me, this is The Year of Creative Flow. I’m planning to nurture (and recover) my creative self, grow my ‘seedling’ creative business, hopefully move into a new home where I will create a fabulous studio for myself, and infuse my walls, my wardrobe, and my life with color.
    My Mondo Beyondo list would have to include, at the very least:
    * Being wildly successful (financially and otherwise) as an artisan/artist and writer.
    * Living in a warm climate and *still* having my family close by (… because I will convince them all to move, too). At the very least, winter someplace warm 🙂
    * A beautiful, bright and cozy home in the country that is also not too far from the beach
    * Publishing a book
    * Taking a spa vacation every year
    * Getting completely organized … and staying that way
    * Having more than enough time to do everything I want to do each day
    * Getting tickets to the Oprah show and finding out it’s her ‘Favorite Things’ show. Whoopee!

  27. amy J.

    Hey Andrea…I’ve never posted on your blog before and this is actually about an older post…the Weepies one. I just wanted to say thank you for the heads up on the cd on iTunes. I love their music (which I totally found out on blogs I visit in the first place!). Was more than pleased to find out I could have another fix so soon after getting their first cd…and I’ve passed it on to fellow fans. Thanks again!!!

  28. kyra

    this is the year of YES, for my visions to become realities, my visions of what i see in my body, my work, my community, my family, my marriage, and for my son. here are a few:
    I have a literary agent
    I sell a book
    our family moves to Northampton
    I have a fabulous part-time nanny
    I feel fit and confident and on fire with my passions
    My son is thriving and progressing miraculously with our home RDI program
    I am part of an interesting and exciting and creative community
    yes yes yes!!!!!!!!
    I am drawing and writing in my journal every day!!!!
    YES YES YES!!

  29. españa

    For me, I think this will be a Year of Discovery…of myself, deeper caverns in my creativity, and testing my self-discipline. I am starting my own business and getting married this summer…if all goes well, and I hope to bend and flow with that adventure and discover new ways of living and learning.

  30. daphne

    Mine’s MOVEMENT. I’m going to be on the move this year. You can’t stop it, oh no, you can not stop it.

  31. Tonya

    For me, this will be the Year of Balance. I’ve spent most previous years either being too focused on work/futures, or too focused on leisure and playing. Both have their consequences. Over the last few months I’ve wiggled into a space that feels right with those, and plan to carve it into a natural habit to have the best of both worlds.
    Mondo Beyondo?
    Finishing a book I’ve been trying to write for 10 years. And home exchanging, all over the globe.

  32. bluefaery

    I just re-read in your archives my 2005 mondo beyondo. wow. It’s always interesting to look back at your idealistic self. For me 2006 will be the year of “liberation” and the year of being “unstuck” (I feel stuck in the same sense that Charlotte out of Lost In Translation describes feeling stuck) from all my crappy disorganisation and procrastination and messiness.
    Andrea keep being Andrea. thankyou.
    Bluefaery

  33. Joshua Smith

    I’ve have just recently discovered your blog, and I just wanted to tell you it is beautiful. I have truley been touched. Thank You.

  34. LB

    Andrea, I love Mondo Beyondo and your whole New Year’s reflection plan (what I learned, etc). I did it again this year and it’s my new tradition. 🙂

  35. katie

    2006 will be my Year of More: making more art, visit more galleries, more new friends, more travel, more new opportunities. . . . . really just make a lot more happen in my life.

  36. Teece

    2005 held heartbrake and heart joys. I Learned that i can be loved without abuse or neglect. i learned i can be paid what i’m worth. I learned that releasing control to the universe, however scary, can be infinately rewarding. I learned that you must “feed the right wolf”. I learned that I grow stronger all the time, and I don’t always give myself that credit. I learned that I’m going to be OK. Better tahn ok… I”m gonna come out on top.
    with that said, i now link you to my mondo beyondo list.
    http://yummyteece.blogspot.com/2006/01/mondo-beyondo.html

  37. Jennifer

    2006 will by my year of GOING FOR IT! Too many things to list, but I’m not going to put them off anymore. I’m not going to let lack of money, time, or courage stop me! : )

  38. Sarah

    This is my Year of Flight! (I’ve been coddling my creative side a bit of late; time to shove it out of the nest! 🙂
    Best wishes to all for excellent Mondo Beyondos, and thanks to you, Andrea, for inspiring us always!

  39. Kelly

    You’ll be happy to know I sat down on New Year’s Eve and made up my Mondo Beyondo list. But I have had a hard year, filled with grief and regret…I simply just couldn’t go back over the year. Yes, I probably learned more than I would have in an ordinary year. I did make my Mondo Beyondo list though.
    This is my “Career Year”. My list:
    *Teach myself at least one software programming language
    *Draw a short comic book
    *Learn Illustrator
    *Fall in love–with myself (in the best way possible, of course)
    *Become a pescatarian (because my love of seafood has prevented me from giving up meat, which is silly)
    *To create a successful podcast
    *To become completely awesome
    Oooh, it’s all so very exciting. Thanks for inspiring me, Andrea.

  40. Jenn

    I think I’ve got two themes for this year.
    One is to say I don’t know. I don’t do this. I feel like I’ve got to have all the answers, even when I have not a clue. So this year I am going to say I don’t know. I also think Balance is big for me this year. I’ve spent a large amount of time this last year working on getting my girl healthy and I’ve forgotten about me a lot. So this year I want to focus on how I can have me time and not feel like I neglect my dogs, cats, and my other half.
    I love this post. It has really had me thinking.
    Jenn

  41. amirah

    hi andrea, i’ve decided that this year will be all about Learning new things aswell as saying “Yes”, instead of “but..”, “if only..”, etc.
    thank you for all your inspiring posts, i truly enjoy reading them. happy new year!

  42. Carrie

    2006 is ‘The Year of Creating (for) Me.’
    I’m usually making and doing for others – saying yes when I really want to say no because I’m afraid (of guilt, missing out on something, disappointing someone).
    This year I will focus on saying yes to:
    – me
    – to my dreams
    – to carving out time to create art just for me
    – to creating a more healthy me
    And I will do so with less trepidation.

  43. Maria

    Andrea
    This is really similar to something I started to do last year which is called a Wild New Year. I wrote down the most wild and amazing things I could think of happening for that year.
    Have a great year. Love your blog.
    Cheers!
    Maria

  44. La'Saundra

    Happy New Year, Andrea! I love your site!
    2006 is my year of “doing”. I have spent too much time waiting for things to happen to me instead of going out and making things happen for myself. I didn’t make any resolutions about the things that I’m going to change about myself. Instead, I have a list of things that I’m going to do for myself…such as learn the guitar, have a conversation entirely in Spanish, take dance classes, and write a collection of short stories…the list goes on and on. But instead of just staring at my list of dreams, I’m going to DO them! Thank you for being an inspiration!

  45. M Payne

    Happy New Year! 2006 is going to be my year of Creativity…getting artistic, creativity in the kitchen, creating new friendships in my new city, creating more love, more peace in myself and those around me, and creating the life I dream of one step at a time. I’m struggling with my Mondo Beyondo list- I seem to be too scared to even write it down! Anyone else have this problem?!! Oh well, I’m going to work through it today.
    Thanks again for the inspiration!! All the best this year.

  46. Swirly

    My theme for 2006 is FOCUS and here’s my MONDO BEYONDO list:
    * Visit Cuba, Myanmar and Petra (Jordan)
    * Be on “Oprah” with my creative community
    * Get another book published & have a fabulous book tour
    * Be an established visual artist (painting & collage)

  47. chrissy

    2006-“the year of goodness!” being good to myself,seeing the goodness in myself, seeing the goodness in others, finding the goodness in every day, every tiny moment, giving goodness to the people in my life, finding the goodness everywhere i look, treating myself good, giving myself good things and taking in all of the goodness.
    love everyone’s posts. love to everyone.

  48. Maria Dahvana Headley

    Hi there –
    Given the discussion here, I thought you and your readers might be interested in my upcoming book THE YEAR OF YES (Hyperion, January 11, 2006) – a memoir of the year that I decided to open my mind and go out with anyone and everyone who asked me. It’s available on Amazon and other retailers for preorder now, and there’s more info on my website. I’ll be on The Today Show, for example, on January 18th. I was living in NYC at the time, so I ended up going out with many fascinating people – taxi drivers, millionaires, homeless guys, handymen, salsa dancers, and finally, wonderfully, my now-husband, a guy who I probably would not have considered prior to the year – not because of who he was, but because of the circumstances of his life…he has two kids, and an ex-wife, and I was in my early 20’s. Needless to say, I’m indebted to The Year of Yes. It’s given me so much happiness. My year of yes turned into a life of yes – and changed my world for absolutely the better! Good luck to all who’ve posted on this site – may your dreams, Years Of ___, and hopes for the future, all come true.
    To Joy!
    Maria Dahvana Headley

  49. Andrea

    Mondo Beyondo 2006
    Be wildly in love with myself!
    Get closer & closer to my kids & be a great mom to them.
    Be wildly in love with a wonderful, tall, dark, handsome man – we’ll have an incredible, open, warm, loving relationship – it’ll be so fabulous – better than I could have ever imagined!
    (WOO HOO! It’s gonna be a lovefest!)
    Get married to Mr. Absolutely Wonderful.
    Have at least one more baby with the love of my life – biological clock be damned!
    Prosperity beyond my wildest dreams.
    Sheer joy & happiness! My life better than I could have ever imagined it!

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  51. Melba

    I love this post and all it has inspired. I have seen it linked to so many blogs and finally decided to add my comments.
    My theme for 2006 is Live an Aunthentic Life.
    My Mondo Beyondo list is to establish a Modern National Women’s Organization that fosters creativity and community. My Wildest Dream is for the Organization to be sponsored by Oprah Winfrey.

  52. Chicagoivy

    Happy New Year everyone!
    Wow, I really love this post and your blog! So inspiring, uplifting and encouraging.
    2006 is going to be my year of FREEDOM!!! Freedom from fear, procrastination, lack; just to name a few. I can’t wait to see what this year is going to bring!

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  54. Misa

    My theme for 2006 is “The Year of Creativity”.

Ready for your next creative adventure?

Download the Mondo Beyondo dream generator!

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