Looking Ahead to OLW

I’m taking a break from Christmas to take a quick look ahead. Ahead to 2014. And my word.

Do you do “one little word?”

Just in case you don’t know what “one little word” is, it is a word you adopt for a year (or it adopts you) in lieu of setting up New Year’s Resolutions that are notoriously easy to break. You absorb the word into your world. Think about it every day. Make it an every day part of your life.

I did it for the 1st time in 2012, and my word was “create.” I even had it made into a charm that I wore around my neck. And I had the most creative year of my life.

In 2013 my word was “happy.”  I knew I was a happy person, but I wanted to make sure I was noticing and appreciating all the happiness in my life every day. I haven’t done quite as much with it as I had hoped to, but I still did well. Much better than I would EVER had done with a list of resolutions.

During the year I ordered a “faux” sea glass charm that says happy. I liked it so much I ordered another that says create, and as soon as I knew my word for 2014, I ordered another. I don’t know if I’ll do exactly the same charm every year, but I know I will have a charm of some sort for every year’s word.

The photo doesn’t do the charms justice – they are exquisite!

Anyway. I don’t think everyone who participates in OLW “connects” their words,  but one of the nicest parts for me  was building on the 1st year’s word. I used the creativity I developed in 2011 to help with my happiness in 2012. So I was on the lookout for a word that would build on the two words before it.

And this year, once again, my word found me. Inspire. I want to use my creativity and my happiness to inspire others, AND to BE inspired. Or so I thought.

Then one of my friends decided to use “grace” as her word, and it happens to be one of my favorite concepts on the planet. I love grace. I love giving it, and I love getting it (I don’t love NEEDING it, but I love being able to get it when I need it!) It seems like a good word for me. But, it’s really too easy. I need something that will stretch me, challenge me. So. Inspire it is. Yeah. I’m good with that.