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.
Nourish
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I keep coming back to "release." Things I need to focus on and things I need to do surround the notion of letting things go, for positive and negative reasons, including control, responsibility, stuff, worry, lots of things that "release" seems to fit. Unless another word speaks to me soon, "release" is my word for my very first One Little Word!
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2012 & 2013 - Let Go
2014 - Live
2015 - Less
2016 - Make
2017 - Believe
I was toggling between "trust" and "believe," but believe kept popping up all around me. It truly found me. I am very much a realistic/logical person and just believing in something, anything, scares me. I don't like to believe in things, I like to know. So "believe" is scary for me, but I think that's exactly why I need it in my life right now.
I want to BELIEVE that I will get pregnant (and once I do, believe I won't have another miscarriage), BELIEVE I will love my new job (scheduled to start around February), BELIEVE in magic and wonder, BELIEVE in my strength ... and who knows what else 2017 will reveal to me through BELIEVE!
Thank you, Ali, for introducing me (and so many others) to this practice. It has helped me in countless ways, stretched me, and taught me. I look forward to another year!
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Replenish
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open
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Action
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grace.
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Joy.
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Radiate!
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GROW in 2017
2016 was focus
2015 was accept
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I have been pondering a word for 2017, and not sure what to choose. "Breathe" was perfect for 2016 - what a turbulent year - it was like a self-fulfilling prophecy! I like "Connect". It speaks to me. Thanks!
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Be. It has so many possibilities and I am looking forward to exploring them this year.
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loslassen - german for let it go/ let go
oh, that's a fabulous word!
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Rebel
I am rebelling against the idea that I have to do what others expect in order to do well.
I am rebelling against my 'getting-by' schedule--forget treading water--I'm lapping the entire pool.
<3
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I'm pretty sure I'm going with Nourish - as in nourish my heart, body and soul. ❤️
good word!
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Embrace is my 2017 word. I am retiring this year....so many changes, both easy and hard. We will also be moving to our retirement home. I want to live and enjoy all of the changes, so this should help me remember that.
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My word is Gratitude. I want to slow down, appreciate the moment, and be grateful.
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My previous One Little Words have been Declutter, Accept and Sparkle. This year "Simplify" chose me. Everywhere I turn, simple comes to my attention. Thank you, Ali, for this important class. ~Sue Thoenes
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F O R T Y | 4O
I was born in 1977 and will be embracing 4O this year. :)
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Bread is my word for 2017
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LIVE.
But actually it is LEVEN.
Which is the Dutch word for both LIVE and LIFE.
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My word this year is home. I'm feeling the need to hunker down this year and spend time and energy in the place and with the people that I love. I want to recommit to living simply and beautifully and the word "home" encompasses all that for me.
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This is my first time joining OLW, I wanted to choose 12 words (narrowed down from 100+ words), so the fact that the word commit chose me should not surprise me. I want to commit to many things in 2017 as we are going through some major life changes that honestly scare me to no end. My husband is retiring next month (I will be the breadwinner); potential job change for me; and the most difficult is the possible move out of state, which I want to do, but it would mean I would not see my granddaughter (2 y.o.) all the time. I am excited to explore the word commit in 2017 and learn about myself in the process.
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Stretch--It's a go-for-it word this year. Stretch in my business life. Stretch my expectations of what I am capable of as a musician. Stretch my body--I'm not very flexible right now. Stretch myself to be more discipled in my home making. Stretch my faith and see if the Lord has a child for us to adopt. It's going to be a great year!
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Really excited for OLW to start - it will be my first year and I am looking forward to it - to document my journey in 2017 and to welcome my word - HEAL - and to live with it.
I was diagnosed with cancer back in February this year and am luckily cancer free since August. There is still so so much healing that needs to be done - healing physically, mentally, emotionally, relationship wise and so much more. I am excited to see what the new year will bring!
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