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
Love .... I need to love more,i feel like i beed to concentrate on the love more and i will stress less
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Open
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my one little word is focus.
after reading about one little word on elise's blog this past year, this is my first time actually participating. "focus" found me in the end of november and it hasn't let me forget it. i don't want to be distracted and rushed and overcommitted. i want to be focused and relaxed and free. i want to simplify, be all in, and focus on the things that matter most.
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ENOUGH!
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NOURISH, for many of the same reasons your have chosen Thrive, Ali... it's about optimal living for me too. So excited to be part of OLW for the first time!
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My word is also Nourish!!! So many meanings. I hope we both find much this year with our word :)
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My One little word is...GO!
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My word for 2014 is true.
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SIMPLIFY...I need this in my life more than ever right now!
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my first word in 2012 was "core." i chose it to help me refocus on the core people and core elements/themes/values of my life, letting the rest (others' opinions, stress, etc) fall away. i picked up yoga and meditation that year and got pregnant, which further brought my attention to my core. very grounding, very valuable!
in 2013, i chose "stretch." i wanted to stretch physically as prepared to birth my baby naturally. i wanted to stretch my marriage to fit a new person in the family. i wanted to stretch my energy, time and patience as a new mom and then a working mom. i wanted to stretch in my career and go for a promotion. i wanted to stretch my ideas of what life could or should look like.
in 2014, i've chosen expand. i like to not define how the word will take shape too much at the start, and let it happen naturally, but some thoughts i do have are: expand my lungs (exercise, meditation practice again, yoga), expand my family (universe willing, i hope to get pregnant in 2014), expand my impact (career focus), expand my mind (new learning, reading, new hobbies). with "core" and having a baby, my world really shrunk down in a beautiful way and i focused on my little family and the key elements of my life. in 2014, i'd like to reopen again and turn outward. move more. think more. grow. expand...
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This is such a beautiful example of how a word from one year will influence and extend into the years that follow. I love this idea, and am inspired to see how that takes root in my own life! Thanks for sharing the background and details!
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I have much to be grateful for but have allowed some negativity to overshadow these blessings, therefore my OLW is POSITIVE. I need POSITIVE changes in my physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing in order to attain the peace and balance I crave in my life. Looking forward to a POSITIVE year!
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My word is nourish. Merriam-Webster gives two definitions: 1) to provide (someone or something) with food and other things that are needed to live, be healthy, etc. and 2) to cause (something) to develop or grow stronger. This feels right to me. I want to concentrate on doing things that nourish me and my family, both physically and mentally/spiritually.
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I also have chosen Nourish as my word. The definition truly embodies so many things.
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My word this year is ***SHINE*** :)
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Mine too! SHINE!! from the inside out...SHINE!! We'll shine together!!
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Blessing
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My word for 2014 is CONTENT.:)
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My word this year is MARGIN. I have started out in previous years (2012 being the most memorable) choosing a word, and then finding that there simply wasn't room in my life to track with it, or to allow it to enter my days and change me. This year, picking up with some very hard work I began in 2013, I'm looking for MARGIN, and for the space within and around me--in all areas: physical, emotional, financial, relational, parental, spiritual, dietary, situational--to engage more fully in my days and to allow change and growth to take root and grow.
Really looking forward to learning how more MARGIN will give me room to spread my wings in 2014!
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My word is Focus.
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After more uncertainty in choosing than I expected, the word "focus" finally chose me. I'm figuring out more day by day in a tiny little ways, why this was the perfect word for this year as I focus on the present, on the good, on hope, on possibility, and on change. I have such a tendency to borrow tomorrow's trouble, getting mired of what might not work instead of giving focus to what is and what could be.
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Up! It came to me one evening while rocking/feeding my baby. I have been allowing these quiet moments to think on negative things unfortunately. So this new year I want to be uplifted, look up more, feel positive etc etc. And then once I decided on it, I realized it was your word a few years ago!! Looking forward to joining in on this project again.
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My word is RENEW, and it found me this year. I've only chosen a word one other time, several years ago, so I'm excited to see what this year holds.
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Gratitude.
Over the last few weeks of 2013 this word has been heavy on my heart. It has been showing up in the most perfect places and I truly believe that it has sought me out. I have followed OLW for a few years, but have never chosen one of my own. This year is the year to focus on my life and watch myself grow in a new way.
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