Note to Self:: One Little Word - may it be a great year

Note to Self:

Resolutions are easy to make, easy to forget about, and hard to keep. Maybe this is the year to forget resolutions and think, instead, about One Little Word.

As 2012 came to an end, I began to think about resolutions. Every year I make them, and every year I'm a little disappointed by the progress (or lack of) that I made. Overall, 2012 was a good year and the resolutions I made back in January were ones that I was able to keep up with; ones that changed my life. I know I could have done better, though.

This year I came across a blog post (http://www.lizlamoreux.com/be-present-be-here/a-word-to-guide-the-way.html) and found the idea for One Little Word. The original idea came from Ali Edwards (http://www.bigpictureclasses.com/onelittleword2013.php) and the idea is this:

"A single word can be a powerful thing. It can be the ripple in the pond that changes everything. It can be sharp and biting or rich and soft and slow. From my own personal experience, it can be a catalyst for enriching your life.

In 2006, I began a tradition of choosing one word for myself each January--a word that I can focus on, meditate on, and reflect upon as I go about my daily life. My words have included play, peace, vitality, nurture, story, light and up. These words have each become a part of my life in one way or another. They've been embedded into who I am, and into who I'm becoming. They've been what I've needed (and didn't know I needed). They've helped me to breathe deeper, to see clearer and to grow." - Ali Edwards

Honestly, I thought the idea was brilliant. So, for 2013, I've decided to go along for the ride.

For those of you who know me, you know that I love words. I keep a journal, I write stories and poems and all my little "Note to Self"'s. That's a lot of words! I thought choosing my OLW (one little word) would be a simple task. I was wrong.

I began by just jotting down significant words that popped into my head. Some of the first were "begin", "chance", "think", "trust", and "do". This list soon turned into a list of 33 words that I had found some sort of significance in. And, with this list, I was no closer to my goal of ONE. I started to define each word and find synonyms (which ultimately led to more words). After I had defined them all, I started crossing them out. I took each word one by one, trying to find the one that meant the most to me.

Finally I had reduced the list to three words. Change. Become. Courage.

This was when it got really tough. I went through moments when I believed each of those words would be perfect. Then I noticed that while I thought of each word, one of the three appeared in every thought.

After a long process I finally found my word for 2013: