One Little Word® 2014
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Make your word visible: Order your own word from recycled matericals created by artist Colleen Attara here.
My One Little Word for 2014 is thrive.
This year, more than any other I can remember, I'm starting off the year with questions. What does it mean for me to thrive? What does it look like? What does it fee like? Are there areas in which I'm already thriving? What's realistic vs. visions of what I have in my head of what it means to thrive?
Open was an awesome word for me last year. It was a touchstone as I navigated my way through growing pains and man oh man did it work in a million different ways I could not have imagined when I started 2013. More often than not when faced with a decision, I chose to open more rather than closing off which was my number one intention last year. That said, I feel like I've been spinning in circles a lot this past year. I've been reacting vs. being proactive and have been dealing with a variety of issues related to stress and growth (totally all part of my own life journey).
To me thriving is optimal living. It's being present and awake and stepping up to be my best self physically, emotionally, spiritually, creatively and within my relationships.
It's not a quest for perfection. It's an opportunity to continue choosing to let go of things outside of my control and to figure out who that best-me-right-now really is.
It will be a whole new journey and I'm here to tell you I welcome it wholeheartedly.
Bring on 2014.
This year I invited my friend Elise Blaha Cripe to film a little video about her experience with One Little Word. One of the reasons I admire Elise is that she is awesome at follow-through and documentation. I've loved reading about her experience with her words over the last few years on her blog and she inspires me consistently with her projects and her real-life reflections.
Here's Elise in her own words:
Thank you Elise for sharing about your own journey here.
Are you considering selecting a word for yourself (or letting one find you)? There's no right or wrong. The main thing to remember is that this is your word. It's not for your child, parent, partner, spouse, sister, etc.
And what do you do with this one little word?
You live with it. You invite it into you life. You let it speak to you. You might even follow where it leads. There are so many possibilities.
SHARE YOUR WORD THE COMMENTS | I’d love to read what word you’ve chosen or are considering for 2014. In the comments feel free to simply leave your word as your comment or write a bit about why you are choosing this word. In a couple days I’ll combine all the words into a single post – super inspiring to see all the words in one place.
If you’re new to the concept of One Little Word, you can read some of my previous posts here: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013.
ONE LITTLE WORD® 2014 |To help keep your One Little Word® more visible throughout the year I offer a year-long workshop featuring one prompt per month. Read all the details and sign up here. Registration is $5 off until December 31.
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938 comments
So weird, I picked thrive for my OLW too! The last couple of years have been all about surviving cancer and now that I've done that, I want to make choices that will help me thrive!
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Patience! I'm looking forward to making this visible in my life next year. Thank you Ali!!
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breathe
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PATIENCE. Yup....as I age I really NEED to focus on this word. Out and about today on the roads and very glad that it is NOT the New Year yet as I didn't do so well with my OLW today!! YIKES!!!! Question Ali, please.....how did you do the photo with your OLW??? LOVE IT!!!! Thanks!!!
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My word is PURGE. I need to get rid of so much old stuff, not just objects, in my life in order to move forward, to think more clearly and not feel overwhelmed.
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My word for 2014 is GROW. I need to work through and move past some things…looking forward to doing that!
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My word is moment. To live in the moment especially with my husband & three small children.
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I've been thinking a lot about my word for months, 2013 was kind of 'meh' and I got into a habit of being apathetic and negative about life in general. I was thinking of words like 'positive' and 'gratitude' and 'purpose' and 'complete' because I want to change my perspective and see and do and be a happier, more driven person, more aware of my blessings, actually reaching my goals. But when I was praying about what my word should be the word BRAVE showed up. I don't really know what to make of BRAVE but I know it's my word. It found me. I know it's all tangled up in not letting fear rob me of my joy and being courageous and stepping out in faith to accomplish those things I want accomplished. It's gonna challenge me and I know BRAVE is gonna be one hell of a ride.
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Oh, Ali, I love OLW! I look forward to this every year. My 2014 word is INTENTIONAL. We are two years from retirement, and there are many decisions to be made, loose ends to be tied up, and dreams to bring to fruition. I am relishing the journey!
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WHOLE. ;)
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My word is APPRECIATE.
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[…] to live each day with intention using one small, powerful, daily reminder. It is called “One Little Word.” A blogger I respect and admire, Ali Edwards, started “One Little Word” in the […]
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CALM is my word. (It was going to be organize, but CALM is calling to me in every way, so CALM it is.)
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I love your word - it was the first word I chose 6 years ago when I first did this challenge! Wishing you success this year in achieving your goals and dreams! This year I chose "focus" for my word. There are so very many distractions in life lately and I struggle daily to stay on a chosen path to accomplish a goal. I want to focus on what is really important and eliminate as much of the "white noise" as possible. I want 2014 to have meaning for me and be one I remember as a good year.
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This is my first experience with OLW and I'm really looking forward to the experience. My word for the year is "appreciate". I think I've spent too much time allowing things to happen around me that I've missed out on the opportunities to create memories. My mom has Alzheimer's and is slipping pretty quickly. I'm so afraid of that happening to me that I want to take time to appreciate everything before it's gone.
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I have chosen PRESENT as my OLW. I wanted a word that embodied patience, and forgiveness and living in the moment like my word last year, Savor. This word I think is perfect for that.
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My word for 2014 is SURRENDER. This is the 4th year with Trust, Grow, and Enjoy being my previous words. This year's word drew me in quickly letting me know that I need to work on me less and my relationship with God more, which in turn will be rewarding to me. Full circle.
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My word found me this year, and I am pretty excited about what it might mean and bring for me. It is FOCUS.
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Cresta, that was my word for 2013. great word! it totally changed how we did life this year. i can't wait to hear how it works for you!
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For 2014, I have chosen a word that builds on 2013, a reminder to get out of bed early in the morning and capture a beautiful sunrise before it is gone, to open my mind at work and in the classroom and to push through the bad knowing I will emerge better for the wear. Not easy, but necessary.
My one little word for 2014? Shine
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This is my second attempt at OLW. I tried two years ago & my word was "Reconstruct". I got a little behind and then my whole world dumped upside down...and two years later reconstruct is still the word. However, as I thought about whether to join this year, the word HEAL came to me and has kind been sticking.
So here I am with "heal..or Healing"
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