One Little Word 2009 & Giveaways

love the first shot... so beautiful... well it is already halfway through Jan 1 2009 here in New Zealand and I have just arrived back from the beach (summer here too) and all the way back I saw warmth, colour and people and my word..... is ENJOY.... all the good and the bad -Enjoy the journey... DONT sweat the small stuff... enjoy time, a bath, some quiet... people around you, nature and another day.... that's me for 2009...

Wow. This really made me think. My word for 2009 is Duty (as a new mother, I could say "doody" :-)
A duty.....
to my son. To provide him with all the best that life has to offer. To take the time to watch him grow and enjoy every minute of our time together.
to my husband. To make sure that we have time for each other. To tell him how much I love him and what an amazing husband and father he is!
to my friends and family. I need to make sure to realize the goodness in all of them and cherish our relationships.
to my community/world. I want to be a kinder more gentle person who thinks about her actions.
to myself. To make sure to continue the things that make me smile and grow as a person!

My word is "balance". Its what has been brewing in my brain for awhile now. Its what I am lacking... BIG TIME.
My favorite gift given to me this Christmas was from my husband, your Life Artist book. Exactly what I needed at this time in my life. You are an incredibly inspiring person and artist. I love everything you do, but this book is channeling me and inspiring me to find balance in my life between family, work, creating and myself. Another word I could have picked would have been "document" because that's what I yearn to do (better) for my family right now. Photos aren't enough for me anymore.
Anyway, I am so excited for you and your family... 2009 is going to be a great year for you! God bless you all. Can't wait to meet that babe of yours.
Thank you.

My word is OPPORTUNITY. I look forward to the opportunities that 2009 is going to bring me - a new job, a new outlook on life, a new project that will stretch my boundaries.

Last year's word was YES.
Finding myself over-committed, this year's word is MODERATION.

Hi Ali!
My word is Knowledge. I want to know more about my passion: photography. I want to just soak up whatever I can. :) Happy New Year!

I love the idea of a word, but haven't figured mine for the year. I am so blessed and hope to make 2009 a year where I am a blessing to others. Hey, maybe that should be my word...Blessing. Being thankful for all of my blessings, seeing all circumstances as a blessing and being a blessing to others. BLESSING..that will be my word!
Have a wonderful and BLESSED 2009!

wow some great words there
mine is breathe, i have to stop getting so stressed out, stop things spinning in my head, stop waking in the middle of the night just to take a moment to breathe! Which is kinda ironic since its the name of the first song at my wedding 6 years ago!

Hi Ali,
I've decided my first ever one little word will be GROW. I want to grow fitter, healthier, stronger. I want to grow in my relationships and creatively and most of all I want to GROW as a person. I am looking forward to this new way of doing things! Thanks for the inspiration.
Cheers,
Katie

REFINE. This year...in just a few weeks, I will be turning 30. I am excited to begin a new stage in my life. I'm grown up, but I still have a lot of growing to do. It's refinement time!
Linda

My word is Spirit. The dictionary defines spirit as - the principle of conscious life; an attitude or principle that inspires, animates, or pervades thought, feeling, or action.
Loving myself for who I am. Beleiving in what I am capable of. Inspiring those I come in contact with.

Happy New Year Ali!
I have two projects in mind for 2009 - Project365 and keeping a gratitude journal with my schoolkids this year (I will have 16 kids from grades 2 - 4), so it seems that my word for this year will be GRATITUDE. It is sometimes easy to be consumed with the trials and tribulations we must all endure - I want to shift my focus to all that I have to be grateful for - the big things and the little ones. I hope to use the Project365 to maintain this focus.
All the best for your growing family,
Sharon (Perth, Western Australia)

My word is 'observe'. Last year I didn't decide on a word. I was worried I wouldn't fully commit to it. Worried I'd fail somehow, I think.
I enjoy your blog so much. Thank you for the time, thought, and inspiration you put out here. It's appreciated so much.
I wish you a wonderful year.

This year my word is: serve.
I want to have a servant's heart. I really feel God stretching me in this area of my life.
Last year my word was "clarity" and I did have clarity---thankfully.

Patience

Hi Ali! Congrats on the coming baby. How exciting for you and your family.
I haven't settled on a word yet this year. The last 2 years a word has popped into my mind quickly. That isn't happening this year. I am not sure where I am headed yet.
Happy New Year!
Erika

CONTENT... Not the kind of content that leads to complacency, but rather being calm and patient in the waiting, trying and uncertain phases of life.

I'm thinking my word for the year will be appreciate. We have been blessed in so many ways, big and small... from a beautiful, healthy child to views of breathtaking sunsets from our back porch. This year I just want to step back, take it all in, recognize and appreciate all of the wondrous gifts that God has bestowed on myself and my family.

My word for the year is going to be:
{A P P R E C I A T E}
So often in my life I hurry through the day I simply do not take the time to appreciate what I have.
Im working on that this year.

Hi Ali!
My word for 2009 will be embrace. Embrace change, happiness, education, new experiences. My husband and I are moving from a suburb of Detroit, MI to a smaller town 2 hours outside Minneapolis. I am striving through the process to embrace all things new and have a positive outlook as much as possible. Happy new year to you and your family!
-Sarah G.
Dearborn, MI