Among my favorite blogs to frequent is {A} by scrapbooking celebrity (yes, Virginia, there is such a creature) Ali Edwards. Not only do I love Ali's approach to scrapbooking, but also her approach to life. I'm continually awed by her dedication to living an authentically creative and subsequently beautiful, meaningful life.My favorite thing about Ali is she is all about the story. She's got an incredible eye for design and an amazing way with words, and perpetually promotes telling your story through the coupling of images and language. Hence, scrapbooking!
Anyway, a couple of years ago, she introduced me to the concept of "one little word" － adopting a single word to serve as a sort of life theme for the year. Here's how Ali explains it:
The idea behind the one little word concept is to give yourself something to focus on throughout the year. As I stated in my newsletter back in January 2007, "A single word can be a powerful thing. It can be the ripple in the pond that changes everything. It can sharp and biting, or rich and soft and slow."
I first boarded the One Little Word bandwagon two years ago, the year I turned 40. My word was embrace. It was my mantra as I dove into a new decade of life. I embraced where and who I was wholeheartedly. It was a great year.
Last year, my word was rest, something I aspire to but rarely practice. It was my mantra as I steamrolled through the year like it was steep and slick, losing traction until it was driving me rather than the other way around. Eventually, I crashed and burned. It was a bust.
So while I am not saying OLW will change your life this year, I am saying it can. And it's definitely an interesting experiment, whichever way it goes.
So, having mulled it over for a month, I've finally chosen my 2009 OLW: Connect.
This year, I want to connect. Connect with myself. Connect with my creativity. Connect with my instincts. Connect with my spirit. Connect with my husband. Connect with my kids. Connect with my work. Connect with the family, friends and colleagues who energize and inspire and move me. Connect with the moment. Connect the dots. Connect the ends to complete the circles.
Not touch base. Not ring up. Not plug in.
Something a little more human. Something a little more real.
A connection.
It's my mantra. Time will tell.
So, what's your One Little Word for 2009? Do tell.
2 comments:
Ok - we'll connect "gently!"
What a great concept - OLW - and I think mine will be "content" - as in a state of mind that I would like to have where I try to have gratitude every day for what I am blessed with and understand the difference in my "wants" and my "needs" and know when enough IS really enough :)
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