one little word……

“One little word ….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. ” ~ Ali Edwards

Last year I began a tradition of chosing one word for myself each January – a word that I can focus on, mediate on, and reflect upon as I go about my daily life. For me, it was a lot about living without fear – about being more open to experiences with an attitude of playfulness and being brave.Even though I have been living in a new city for more than 2 years… there are alot of days I still walk out the door with a lot of fear….like everytime I need to drive to a new arena that I haven’t been to before to take Hunter to skating…. or when I have to drive a road I haven’t driven before…. or go to a meeting of some kind for the first time. There is a constant dialogue that runs through my head… will I get lost…will I make the wrong turn… will we get there on time…. will I know anyone…..will the people be friendly or will I be in a corner by myself? My goal for 2007 was to take that dialogue down to a very dull roar. I think I did a good job of doing that. Living without fear is a constant struggle for me and I have learned to handle it so much better that when a curve ball gets thrown my way…. I can deal with it. I can laugh about it. For example, last week when taking Hunter to skating, we hit a detour because of a very bad accident. The detour was a road that I had never been on before AND left me in unfamiliar territory…but I just kept going. I knew that general direction we should be headed and I kept going east until I hit a road I knew and then went south. Normally, this kind of thing would send me into a panic. I would have to pull over and consult the map to get my bearings…. but this time I just let it go.

“Can you identify a single word that sums up what you want for yourself in 2008?
It can be something tangible or intangible. It could be a thought or a feeling or an emotion. It can be singular or plural. The key is to find something that has personal meaning for you.
One little word can have big meaning in your life if you allow yourself to be open to the possibilities.” ~Ali Edwards

My word for 2008 is GROW.