Dear Happy Asses,
Coddiwompling—traveling with purpose toward an unknown destination—is a profound approach to life, emphasizing journey over destination.
Let’s use it in a sentence, shall we!!! Karen Key Smith has decided to do the most coddiwampling possible in this 4th quarter of her life!!!
Most of you who know me are aware that I love words!!! Bruce knew this, and he just assumed that a word lover like myself already knew the term coddiwomple!!! Well, blow me down, I did not know that word, and it was instant love!!! And I so love that my friend Bruce knew enough about me to know that I would fall in love not only with the word, but with the spirit of the word—and that I would become an ace coddiwampler for the rest of my life.
The truth is, I have been coddiwampling through most of my life, and by golly, I want more of it. I want more lollygag and skeedadle time in this last quarter… but oh my, how do I do that?
As I have done with much of my life, I use affirmations and gratitude to embrace more joy and peace. You can rest assured that coddiwampling will become one of my daily affirmations, because I want to intentionally coddiwample more so that I can go to the deepest part of me. I don’t have the time I once had, and frankly, none of us know what time we have, so I want to spend it on things that are valuable to myself and to others.
I started a morning practice quite a few years ago, and although it has morphed and changed over the years, I know that it is the foundation of my life. Without time to sit in stillness and ponder—and frankly, be bored—my life can become just one big pile of running here and there and never getting anywhere!!!
Words are fun, and the use of them—and the rejection of some—has given me the best possible life. In this last quarter, which by the way I plan on being my best and most productive and most joyful, I plan on being more intentional about addition and subtraction so that I can do more coddiwampling.
Because, as I have stated before on numerous occasions; the hero child I wanted to be and the people pleaser I became, have developed ways of being that no longer serve me. And to be honest, I imagine they never really did, and certainly do not truly serve others.
So, I am seeking right now what actually is my purpose, and I guess I am a little late as a bloomer, because surely I should know it by now. I wish I could just ChatGPT it, but the truth is, the only way to find it is to discover what is NOT my purpose—and do less of that—and more of what is. That was a mouthful, but it is really a heart full.
I know that for the rest of my life I want to live more wholeheartedly—giving all that I have in the areas that matter, and sitting on the sidelines of those that don’t. I also know that everything cannot be my mission… because then nothing is my mission.
At times people want me to talk about certain subjects, but that is not what I am here for. I don’t want anything that I do or say to take away from the spirit of what is me. Thankfully, when people out of nowhere tell me that my podcast has touched them and that they are growing, I know in my deepest knowing that I am where I am supposed to be.
I pray that God continues to show me that this life is about service and leading with love in ALL situations. I believe a heart-driven life, in a time of AI and turmoil, will be valued above all else. It will be the sweet voice of kindness and authenticity that reminds us that a life of coddiwampling and love will lead us straight to the heart of God!
With extreme gratitude,
Karen Key Smith
Ace Coddiwampler
