One Little Word® 2017 | Connect
Another trip around the sun is coming to a close.
My overwhelming feeling at the end of this year is wholehearted thankfulness. For the whole of it. The hard parts and the easy parts and the parts in between. It's something we can count on - that crazy mixture of highs and lows and normals - throughout the 365 days we call a year in our lives.
I absolutely loved focusing on the word "whole" as my One Little Word® for 2016. It is a word that I will carry with me for the rest of my life - "open" is another one that I feel strongly about. Whole challenged me in the ways I needed to be challenged and wrapped me up in goodness in so many other ways. I loved asking questions about the different pieces of my own whole and looking deeper into what it means to me to feel "whole."
It's crazy when I think back on all the words I've had over the years (I started this practice in 2006):
- Play
- Peace
- Vitality
- Nurture
- Story
- Light
- Up
- Open
- Thrive
- Give
- Whole
For 2017 I'm choosing to explore my life through the lens of the word "connect."
I'm ending 2016 and beginning 2017 by connecting directly and in person with my immediate family (parents, brother, sister + all their families) at my parents house on the coast. I'm already including "connect" in daily thoughts as I go about the regular stuff of my life - asking myself how I'm connecting with this and that and especially focusing on what I can disconnect from (love the angle of including the opposite of my word).
This blended family life is offering me a whole lot of opportunities for connection and I don't want to miss those. We've all been sinking in to this "new normal" around here - life is such a series of "new normals" isn't it? We get used to a situation or a piece of our lives and then something changes - for better or worse - and then we are forced (either kicking and screaming or accepting or a crazy combination of those emotions) to adapt to the "new" normal. What I have learned over the last so many years is that we are always riding that wave - either in the beginning or the end or somewhere in between. It is life. It is our life. What we get to choose is how we respond and live through all those moments.
In 2017 I hope to specifically investigate areas related to connecting with myself, connecting with others (especially family and community), connecting with work, and connecting with nature/outdoors (I feel a strong pull towards that this year). I also plan to focus on the idea of disconnecting in order to make sure I'm living in alignment with my highest values.
If you'd like to hear me talk more about this topic, check out a new podcast I did earlier this week with Elise about our words from last year and this year. It's a very candid conversation about what's worked and not worked related to both choosing and living with our words.
My wonderful little heart shown above is from Liz Lamoreux and is called a Whole Heart Pocket Talisman. It's a wonderful way to keep your word close throughout the year.
SHARE YOUR WORD IN THE COMMENTS
I’d love to read what word you’ve chosen or are considering for 2017. 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, 2014, 2015 and 2016.
JOIN ME IN MAKING OUR WORDS VISIBLE
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, 2016. I've also created a selection of products to help you document your journey with your word - check those out here (stamps will be restocked later in January and we have a pre-order happening for an additional restock of the blue albums that will arrive in late March/early April). During the One Little Word® 2017 Kick-Off ordering period (between now and 1/31/17), items featured on the One Little Word® 2017 page are eligible for free shipping domestic and $5 international. If you add any other items from the shop to your cart, normal shipping rates will apply to those additional items.
self-compassion
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The not so little word that has chosen me for 2017 is 'Possibility'.
It has been hanging about for a few months now, I am sure waiting to see if I will commit. Whilst there has been a word I have had in mind these last couple of years, I have never committed to keeping them in my life for the year ahead. So 2017 is the year to truly commit to Possibility. I want to open myself to the Possibility that life holds, to break free of expecting less and less of life as every year passes to the point of considering it is just too much effort to make for what? My connection to Possibility has its roots in the following paraphrased quote that jumped out of something I was reading last year - We must surrender who we’ve known ourselves to be for the possibility of who we might become…'. Funnily enough even though I have know Possibility as my 2017 word for months the universe really wanted to make sure I was watching and listening when I received an email out of the blue that I don't even subscribe to any more which is called 'The Daily Flame' which read -
Whether you believe it’s possible or whether you believe it’s impossible, you’re right.
What do you choose to believe?
Full of possibility,
Mmmmm, as scary as opening myself to possibility may be, I am looking forward to actively including it as a 'Daily Flame' in my life.
Thank You all for accompanying me on this journey. Wishing you all every success for letting your One Little Word live through you in 2017, for Being the Invitation.
Namaste & Nameh.
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After much thought about my intentions for 2017... my word is CULTIVATE.
CULTIVATE my relationship with my husband and children
CULTIVATE gratitude
CULTIVATE my new business
CULTIVATE routine
CULTIVATE creativity
CULTIVATE wellness
Love this word and your thoughts behind it.
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"words"
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Shine
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My word is {Heart} : follow my heart, take care of my heart, put my heart into all I do
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LIGHT as in "be the light". Also so much more... feeling so much darkness in life right now, light is perfect. When I googled it (olw light) I got images for lots of owls which are things my college students give me and also a necklace of the Disney castle with a star and light above it. Yes I'm a Disnerd as well. So, it had to be light. Every day I will need to remember this.
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It's connect for me, too.
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Complete, I need to accept that right now I am perfect regardless of the things I feel I don't have or do... I am complete
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Develop.
Develop a creative routine.
Develop my son's curiosity and natural learning.
Develop my learning path.
Develop healthy habits.
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Listen...
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Actuate is my OLW for 2017, and I'm combining it with the #New52 project (doing one new thing per week for a year). I'm running a FB group for #New52 so that I can actuate the crap out of the next 365 days along with a little help from my friends. :)
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My word for 2017 is "JOY".
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This year is all about my personal inner feeling when I am quiet, still and alone or out and about socially. I want to feel VIBRANT. My support words are energetic and alive. No more numbing or mindlessness. I will keep asking myself "Does this feel vibrant?"
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My word is: transform
i need to be more mindful in how I approach life. I am focused on how I will transform over the year as well as my relationship, family, friends, and career.
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So I have decided on my word for next year. 2016 I had the word COURAGE and looking back it has been incredibly powerful and has helped me from picking up the courage to finally see the doctor about my mental health, have the strength to put my beloved cat to sleep, see my daughter start school and do a presentation to over 100 people. Oh, and I'm learning to speak up for myself and starting to believe in myself too, a bit. Anyway, COURAGE will always be with me and I wanted a word this year that would sit side by side with it, something that would help me grow and help give me the impetus and the go that I now have. So, hello FLOURISH, here's to a jolly good year.
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I watched a movie about a 2 year boy that had cancer, Dax, and his affect on so many people. He and his family impressed on their friends and many others was to "Cherish" every moment, every opportunity and for me my family. I want my word to be "Cherish" this year. I want it to remind me not to bypass opportunities to stop and play, talk, spend time despite the rush of life....somehow and someway take the time to Cherish the people I love most. Dax died at 3, but he is alive in so many hearts. Cherish
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Less
Less stress
Less stuff
Less anxiety
Less weight
This is one I think about all the time.
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Journey
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My word for 2017 is release. It is the same word that I chose for 2016 but didn't really work on. I have a son who is a drug addict and my whole life revolves around him. I need to release my terror, release him, and release myself from the bondage of fear that I live in.
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2017 Compassion
2016 was Connect
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Do
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Excited to join OLW this year, although I have chosen a word of the year for the past 3 years starting with Change, then Courage and this year was Focus. My word for 2017 is Believe. I'm eager to explore more about that word. Thanks Ali!
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Oxford Dictionaries selected “post-truth” as 2016's international word of the year. I find it very frightening to live in a world where alternate realities are affecting our lives. My word for 2017 is TRUTH and I will be searching for it daily.
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Pace
As in slower pace. Pick up the pace. Pace yourself.
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