One Little Word® 2015
My One Little Word® for 2015 is give.
The process of choosing a word, or letting it choose me as is often the case, is always interesting. For me it often starts around October - words begin popping up here and there via reading or conversations or overhearing something on the radio. I tend to do a lot of listening and thinking and trying each one on for a minute or two or a couple days or longer.
I know there is no perfect word, there's only choices and paths and possibilities.
This year the word give showed up in October if I remember correctly. It came in more like a whisper - some years my words have been so loud as if they were making it so they couldn't be ignored.
Give began with the idea of giving to others and the question of what is it that I currently give. I'm pretty sure it was sparked by my trip to Washington DC to attend the ONE Campaign's AYA Girls And Women's Summit. There was a shift in my thoughts and a vivid reminder that it's not just about me and my own stuff - it was such a powerful opportunity to reflect on my place in the larger world and become educated on some of the issues facing girls and women in Africa.
Over the last few months since it first made itself known, my thoughts about the word give and what I want to focus on in 2015 has evolved which is something I always welcome as I choose a new word. Give, for me, is so much more than the process of "handing something over."
Give love. Give kindness. Give time. Give patience. Give to others. Give to myself.
On a certain level, the word give for me is rooted in connection and openness and awareness and willingness. What do the people around me need? How can I connect with them through the process of giving of myself? Over the last year I've lost some of myself in work and the transitions and I want more than anything to reconnect to the things/people/places I most value.
Another level/definition of the word give is the idea of bending and being flexible. It's a nod to living in the gray areas and working on lessening my constant grip on the black and whiteness of things. My ability to be black and white is at the same time very much a strength in some areas and a weakness in others. Discerning the difference between when to give and when to hold firm is something I'd like to explore this year.
The third level of give for me is in giving to myself. Giving time to myself. Giving patience to myself. Giving kindness to myself. Giving love to myself. I like the combination of the connection with others and the connection with myself. It's an opportunity to fine tune and get clear and make choices that align with what I care about most.
I'm also interested in exploring give up, give away, and give in - all three of which I see as positive steps/ideas vs. the negative way they could be taken.
I'm looking forward to experiencing a new journey with a new word in 2015.
PS | That awesome little whole heart pocket talisman is from my dear friend Liz Lameroux's shop Soul Mantras. Check out all her lovely offerings here.
PSS | Listen to Elise Cripe and I chat about One Little Word® on her latest podcast episode here.
SHARE YOUR WORD THE COMMENTS
I’d love to read what word you’ve chosen or are considering for 2015. In the comments feel free to simply leave your word as your comment or write a bit about why you are choosing this word. Next week I’ll combine all the words into a single post – it's become tradition and 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, 2013 and 2014.
JOIN ME
To help keep your One Little Word® more visible throughout the year I offer a year-long workshop featuring one creative prompt per month. Read all the details and sign up here. Registration is $5 off until December 31.
MOVE!
It chose me a few weeks ago. I realized that everything I am missing in my life, everything that I am unhappy with in my life, will never be fixed until I start to MOVE. I've known this a long time but kept trying to avoid it.
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push
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For 2015, I'm going with JOURNEY. "Follow your bliss"! This word won't let me go.
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My word for 2015 is DELIBERATENESS. I've struggled with this a bit as I find this word in itself is a bit awkward. Others considered were purposeful, consciously and contemplative but the very act of saying (let alone spelling) deliberateness achieves what I am looking for. It slows me down; i have to enunciate it carefully; I have to be deliberate in my use of it. And that is what I'm looking for - a path that will see me being conscious of and deliberate in the choices I make; in the words I use; in the way I use resources. To use the old cliche I don't want the tail to be wagging the dog any more!
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My 2015 word is TODAY, thoughI have more of a slogan this year... "No day but today", which is from one of the songs in the musical Rent. I want to make the most of each and every day, instead of letting time and hours slip away from me. Also, I want to focus more on myself as a whole this year; being an 8th grade math teacher means sacrificing a lot of extra time, but I'm tired of letting that get in the way of all the other aspects of my life. :) So here's to today!
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SHIFT. In 2015 I will be moving forward and shifting things up a gear.
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Great word Ali, it should take you in all sorts of directions :-)
2015 will be my first year joining in and I am excited to be a part of it. I have chosen ASSURANCE. It is a bit of a big word for me, it's definitions have lots of things that I am capable of but I don't always stretch myself to be them. I want to continue developing the ones that I am doing and start doing the ones I wish I did but haven't.
Good luck everyone, it has been very inspiring to read all the comments.
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My word for 2015 is "nourish" This is the year I want to take better care of myself, eat better, workout, more sleep and more me time - nourish me.
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Surrender
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My word this year is conviction. I had an overall feeling of what I wanted to focus on for the year but couldn't pin it down in a word. I was on a run one morning and it just popped into my head...I knew that was it. I feel pulled in so many different directions for so many different things that this year is about strengthening my ideals my values and beliefs. Holding strong to them and not feeling guilt when others do it differently, or feel that I should. This year I want to live with conviction in what is right for me and my family and let go of all the guilt associated with everything else.
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My OLW for 2015 is brave. Brave enough to stand alone, brave enough to be myself, brave enough to stand up.
Oh you're in for the ride of your life rhoffer12. BRAVE was my word for 2014 and it was scary and challenging and all sorts of wonderful. Coming out the other side of it I feel so much more free. I'm not gonna lie, it was really difficult being brave - raising issues in relationships that I needed to speak up about, doing things that threw me way out of my comfort zone, embracing and challenging the not so great things about myself and still being brave enough to say this is who I am. Being brave enough to share my word with family and friends, they sure kept me accountable to it. I wholeheartedly wish you the best year of BRAVE and hope it serves you as well as it has me.
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My word for 2015 is GROW. To grow more spiritually mature, grow into the person God designed me to be, grow strong in my own abilities and personality, grow in love for myself and others, and grow in acceptance of my circumstances. The more I think about this word the more I see endless possibilities. I'm actually excited about 2015, something I have not been for years!!!
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Space ;)
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Prayer Warrior :)
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My One Little Word for 2015 is Navigate - hope it makes it onto the list this year.
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DARE...
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This will be my first year joining in on this project. My twin sister and I are starting a blog in the new year, and I wanted to include this as one of my posts, since it is such an amazing project. At first, I wasn't sure if I'd join as I was having trouble figuring out a word, but then out of no where it came to me. So, my one little word is EMBRACE. Embrace change, embrace new endeavours/adventures, embrace my family and friends, embrace my fears, embrace love, embrace my inner being, etc. I am not a scrap booker but I love moleskine journals and being creative, so I might be doing the projects slightly different, but I am hoping to stay accountable and get a lot out of this.
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COMPLETE
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My OLW is Light.
I need to take charge of my health and lighten up, I need to get out of a relationship that is bad for me. I need to lighten my home by de cluttering. I need to lighten my debt (hospital bills). I need to lighten my responsibilities. Lots of ways to look at this word!
Looking forward to my first class with you!
Linda
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MINDFULNESS
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Adventure!
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Content - It's always there, but I just have to choose it.
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Peace. Peace of mind, peace in my heart, peace in my home and workplace.
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COURAGE.
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My OLW is CHALLENGE. I want to challenge myself to read more books, blog with intention, celebrate the everyday, craft more, walk at least two miles a day, clean and purge, etc. I'm looking forward to a great year with my word. Thanks for the inspiration Ali!
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