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
EXPLORE
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This year I've set "embrace" as my word. I plan to embrace my life, myself, my heart, everyday, moments, memories, opportunity, etc....
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That's a good one. I thought I had chosen my work but now I think I'm going to wait a bit to decide.
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My word is shine. I'm going to shine this year. In so many ways. My kids are going to shine. I want my marriage to shine.
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I love this - making your marriage shine. It's beautiful. It's spoken to me, this word is on my shortlist now. Good luck and thank you for inspiring me x
Awesome word and intentions. :)
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simple.
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My word is prosper - it found me while I was staring at last year's list. I had several others but after reading the definition I know this was my word as it encompasses two things I want to focus on in 2014: financial stability and fitness.
This is the first year where a word as felt very right from the beginning.
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Be
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Be was a good word for me...if you need quotes or images check my Pinterest board "One Little Word:2012 Be"
So many good things out there for "BE".... May it BE all yu hope it will BE :)
BE is one of the words I'm considering. BE brave, BE compassionate, BE kind, BE me. The other word is FIND. I'm really struggling with finding my authentic self after years of taking care of others first. Either way I believe it will be a powerful word full of change.
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This year I chose the word CHOOSE. We have so many choices in life, big and small, and I need to embrace that on a daily basis.
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This is the word I'm leaning toward as well. It was "choose" or "embrace" for me, but for me "choose" sounds a bit more deliberate, and I think that's how I'd like to approach the coming year.
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I have the word "Focus". This past year I seem to have just "flitted" around and feel like I have not accomplished very much. So this year I am focusing on my health(diet and exercise), finishing scrapbooks for my grandkids(5 not done), organizing my house and most importantly focusing on my relationship with God. It's going to be a busy year but one I look forward too.
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This is my second year doing OLW and I also chose FOCUS for my 2014 OLW. Many of my reasons are similar to yours. There was a definite feeling of not doing all I could and being easily distracted. I'm looking forward to the journey this year and all that may come with FOCUS.
I've chosen focus as my word too. With a new baby and a whole new array of things to do I felt as if my brain was all over the place 2013. Focus is what I want to do this year.
This is the exact word I need & for all the same reasons. This time next year I want to feel I have achieved things & for that to happen I actually need to focus on lots of different aspects. Thank you :-)
This is me -- exactly! I've been thinking about my OLW for the past several weeks and just couldn't put my finger on what it would be...Seek, Legacy, Learn, Grow, Minister, Move, Pray.... I so badly want to get my priorities back in order instead of like you said, "flitting about"! :) And yet, I still couldn't decide on a word. I've spent the morning contemplating what I wanted 2014 to look like. I want to move more and eat less, give more and spend less, take more time with my family & friends, ministering to them -- rather than worrying about things that are not in my control. And I want to do more scrapbooking -- and actually FINISH what I start! :) More than anything else, I want to trust God completely and make Him the center of everything I do. Funny thing, as I was journaling & researching, I received an invitation from a facebook friend this morning to an Online Bible Study entitled: Focused. And that was my lightbulb moment. Focused is my OLW for 2014.
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Shape.
"This is your world. Shape it or someone else will."
2014 will be a year of actively shaping my life into what I want it to be -- professionally, relationally, physically, emotionally.
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Carrie,
This is a good one, I just got a glimpse of lots of ways it could apply to the things I'm thinking about. Thanks for sharing!
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Listen.
This is my first year joining in. In past years I have pondered choosing a word but it never felt right. This year I was reading Karen Grunberg's blog a few weeks ago and noticed that she had updated her 'word' to the 2014 one. Her word is listen and something just clicked with me too when I read her word.
Listen picked me and I just knew I was going to undertake this year long journey.
Thanks Ali and Elise. Love you both for constantly inspiring me.
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here i was checking if anyone else picked listen!! :)
Listen spoke to me midway through 2013 and would not let go. Even though other words came to me, too, listen was always the strongest.
I like that listening can happen on many levels and they all require me to be present and pay attention:
Listen to myself: My body, my soul, my heart, my brain/thoughts, and my gut
Listen to others: be open, stop and hear as opposed to preparing a reply, choosing to receive
Listen to the universe: Pay attention and see the signs, listen to messages, listen to what the universe is whispering, the sounds of nature
here's to a year of listening :)
LISTEN was my 2013 OLW. Great word, good luck with it in 2014!
I wasn't thinking about a word for 2014 until I saw Elise's post and BREATHE was the first thing that came to mind. It just popped into my head as soon as I saw her blog post title. It feels right so I'm not going to over-think it.
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BE - I wasn't even thinking about OLW, just looking ahead to 2014, and there it was. Amongst everything that goes on regardless, day-to-day, I need to remember to just BE :)
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I picked BE also! I'm very excited about this word. I've picked a word for myself each year for the past 4 years but this is the first time I've registered for the OLW course. I'm really looking forward to the monthly prompts to keep my word present with me all year. Afterall, that's my focus. To BE present. In the moment. Feeling my feelings. Thank you for doing this each year, Ali. And hope BE is a fantastic word for you, Anne.
Hi Anne
I chose the word be last year. I had been through a very difficult couple of years and I just wanted to allow myself to be. No expectations, no great projects. It was a great year, and as I started feeling stronger, projects naturally came into my life that I was happy to take on:)
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Courage
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FLOW
I am learning to manage expectations and just let things work themselves out. Let our 3 boys grow and learn on their own without my constant intervention.
I'm going to GO WITH THE FLOW when I can.
I'll also be revisiting the One Little Word classroom from back in 2011 that's in my BPC archives and incorporate it into my PL album.
Thanks Ali for sharing. Know that you do touch our lives and make them better.
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Begin. In order to move forward I need to begin.
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Enjoy
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My word this year is POSITIVE.
I try to keep a mantra to follow through the year as well. This year is "Positive thoughts, positive happenings" I will have it up and about in my house, in my art, at work so that I see it and think about it on a daily basis.
2012 was Change (Change it or Change the way you think about it)
2013 was Reduce (Reduce everything)
Thanks for OLW Ali! It has been a joy to work with over the past few years.
Th
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Restoration.
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My word for 2014 is *mindful*. I actually bought some pretty stacked rings to wear to remind me to be mindful. Of what I say... Of what I'm thinking... of how I live my life... with intention. To be *mindful*.
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My Olw is TIME, temps.
Best Regards from Catalonia.
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Promise
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