Search results for 'word for the year'

2020 Word of the Year: Bliss

Happy New Year!  We had a great time over the Holidays and we hope that you did, too!  Alex was off from school for two weeks, and we all kept really busy, as a result!  We are now getting caught up and back into the swing of things!  Victory is so happy, I think, to have a quiet house back to herself during the week!  And, Alex is happy to be back with her friends at school!  I have reflected on my word for this year: bliss.  Last year I chose embrace; in 2018 the word peace; in 2017 I chose relax; in 2016 I chose present; in 2015 I chose flow; in 2014 I chose trust; and in 2013 I chose the word create.  The idea of picking an intention has worked well over the past few years.  (I particularly loved this talk about not having specific New Year’s resolutions, per se.)

Bliss defined: /blis/ noun 1. perfect happiness; great joy.

Each day is truly a gift.  This past year was a good year filled with a lot of growth.  Our collective intention, this year, is to have as much bliss and fun as possible!  I am excited to see how this year unfolds.  And, we are off to a good start implementing this word/intention!

Are you considering selecting a word for yourself (or letting one find you)?  There is no right or wrong.  The main thing to remember is that this is your word.

And what do you do with this one little word?  You live with it.  You invite it into your life.  You let it speak to you.  There are so many possibilities.

Happy New Year!

2019 Word of the Year: Embrace

Happy New Year!  We had a wonderful time over the Holidays and we hope that you did, too!  We are back from taking a break over the Holidays and we are getting caught up and back into the swing of things!  Many people write new year resolutions.  I concurrently write down my goals for the year, which I recently finished, while also reflecting upon last year, a life changing year, but I have found it more helpful to have a word, an intention, to focus on throughout the year.

This year, after reflection, I decided the word embrace would be my word for 2019.  Last year I chose the word peace; in 2017 I chose relax; in 2016 I chose present; in 2015 I chose flow; in 2014 I chose trust; and in 2013 I chose the word create.

Embrace defined: /əmˈbrās/ noun 1. an act of accepting or supporting something willingly or enthusiastically.

I decided that I want to absolutely embrace this year.  We waited a long time for this season to arrive and I plan to fully embrace and be present through it all.  We are truly excited to see what this year has in store for us!

Are you considering selecting a word for yourself (or letting one find you)?  There is no right or wrong.  The main thing to remember is that this is your word.

And what do you do with this one little word?  You live with it.  You invite it into your life.  You let it speak to you.  You might even follow where it leads.  There are so many possibilities.

Happy New Year!

2018 Word of the Year: Peace

Happy New Year!  We are back from taking a break over the Holidays and we are getting caught up and back into the swing of things!  Many people write new year resolutions.  I concurrently write down my goals for the year, which I recently finished, while also reflecting upon last year, but I have found it more helpful to have a word, an intention, to focus on throughout the year.

This year, after reflection, I decided the word peace would be my word for 2018.  Last year I chose the word relax; in 2016 I chose present; in 2015 I chose flow; in 2014 I chose trust; and in 2013 I chose the word create.  Also, My Intent offers custom bracelets and necklaces containing one’s word as a reminder of one’s intent, while spreading positive energy.

Peace defined: /pēs/ noun 1. freedom from disturbance; quiet and tranquility.

I decided that I want to have more of a sense of peace than last year, which was quite intense, in many ways.  So Doug and I are making a concerted effort to enjoy each day and incorporate as much tranquility and peace as possible this year, and we are hopeful and excited to see how this year unfolds.

Are you considering selecting a word for yourself (or letting one find you)?  There is no right or wrong.  The main thing to remember is that this is your word.

And what do you do with this one little word?  You live with it.  You invite it into your life.  You let it speak to you.  You might even follow where it leads.  There are so many possibilities.

Happy New Year!

2017 Word of the Year: Relax

“The time to relax is when you don’t have the time for it.” — Sidney Harris

Happy New Year, which is in full swing!  Many people write new year resolutions.  I concurrently write down my goals for the year, which I recently finished, while also reflecting upon last year, but I have found it more helpful to have a word, an intention, to focus on throughout the year.

This year, after reflection, I decided the word relax would be my word for 2017.  Last year I chose the word present; in 2015 I chose flow; in 2014 I chose trust; and in 2013 I chose the word create.

Relax defined: re·lax rəˈlaks/ verb 1. make or become less tense or anxious.

I decided that I want to have a more relaxed year than last year, which was quite intense, in many ways.  So Doug and I are making a concerted effort to enjoy each day and incorporate as much relaxation and fun as possible this year, while also trying new things.  As a result of our efforts, we hope for a fun and relaxed year!

Are you considering selecting a word for yourself (or letting one find you)?  There is no right or wrong.  The main thing to remember is that this is your word.

And what do you do with this one little word?  You live with it.  You invite it into your life.  You let it speak to you.  You might even follow where it leads.  There are so many possibilities.

Happy New Year!

2016 Word of the Year: Present

“The present moment, if you think about it, is the only time there is.  No matter what time it is, it is always now.” -Marianne Williamson

Many people write new year resolutions.  I still write down my goals for the year, but I have found it more helpful to have a word, an intention, to focus on throughout the year.

This year, after reflection, I decided the word present would be my word for 2016.  Last year I chose the word flow; in 2014 I chose trust; and in 2013 I chose the word create.

Present defined: present ˈprez(ə)nt/ noun  1. the period of time existing now.

I decided that I want to truly be more present in my life.  Often times, I find myself wandering too much into the future, while consequently missing the present moment.  Time already goes by quickly enough, and I really want to enjoy each moment and practice being in the moment.  I also hope that this will also hone my ability to focus, at times, more easily, too.  Biscuit first taught me the importance of living in the present.  That was one of his gifts to me, and I hope to improve this year with this practice.  I even bought this bracelet to remind me of my word this year.  This practice is applicable to all areas of my life, and in a few months, I will share how this practice is going here on the blog.

Are you considering selecting a word for yourself (or letting one find you)?  There is no right or wrong.  The main thing to remember is that this is your word.

And what do you do with this one little word?  You live with it.  You invite it into your life.  You let it speak to you.  You might even follow where it leads.  There are so many possibilities.

Happy Friday!

2015 Word of the Year: Flow

“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes.  Don’t resist them — that only creates sorrow.  Let reality be reality.  Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” -Lao Tzu

Many people write new year resolutions.  I still write down my goals for the year, but I have found it more helpful to have a word, an intention, to focus on throughout the year.

This year, in addition to my animal spirit totem, a deer, I decided the word flow would be my word for 2015.  Last year I chose the word trust and the year before that, I chose the word create.

Flow defined: flow /flō/  verb 1. move along or out steadily and continuously in a current or stream.

I am going to keep moving along steadily with my long-term photography project, which I hope to be done photographing by this spring; and I am going to practice flowing with what comes my way.  My hope is that positive benefits will flow from this practice.

Are you considering selecting a word for yourself (or letting one find you)?  There is no right or wrong.  The main thing to remember is that this is your word.

And what do you do with this one little word?  You live with it.  You invite it into your life.  You let it speak to you.  You might even follow where it leads.  There are so many possibilities.

2014 Word of the Year: Trust

“There are years that ask questions and years that answer.” ~Zora Neale Hurston

Many people write new year resolutions.  I still write down some attainable goals for the year, but I have found it more helpful to have a word, an intention, to focus on throughout the year.

This year, I recently contemplated that my word for 2014 would be open.  However, after reflection and giving more thought, I have decided that trust is my one little word for 2014.   In some ways I have excellent trust — in divine timing; in the laws of the universe; in spiritual practice; and in following my bliss – but when it comes to trusting others and myself on a much more practical level, I can struggle.  So, I am going to keep trust as my word and see how it manifests this year.  I am also going to trust the process, part of the biscuit’s space manifesto.

Last year I selected the word create, which served me well in taking more risks in my photography; sharing my photography; and also beginning a long-term photography project, which, at times, feels like a daunting undertaking.   However, I keep plugging along because I believe the work is important.  Thankfully, Doug is really supportive.  I am dedicating this work to our beloved Biscuit, the inspiration for this work.  I plan to complete this work in 2015; however, there are a lot of moving parts to this project and I am thankful for the support of the organizations that I am working with on this project.

2013 was a year of immense change for us in many ways.  We still miss our beloved Biscuit, and we will always miss him.  Biscuit was a gift and he came into our lives at the right time.  We know that he is with us in spirit and we see him daily as his images adorn our home.  We also know that Biscuit brought our beautiful Victory into our lives, whom we love very much.  Doug says that “Victory makes beauty effortless.”  Victory is also a blessing and we have fun with her and she is now my muse.  We look forward to all of our adventures together!

We also sold a house, built a house, and moved two times in a span of nine months.  We are now pretty settled into our home.  We still have a little more decorating that we want to complete, but we have made good progress so far!  I feel ready to close the chapter on 2013 and welcome 2014 into our lives!

Are you considering selecting a word for yourself (or letting one find you)?  There is no right or wrong.  The main thing to remember is that this is your word.

And what do you do with this one little word?  You live with it.  You invite it into your life.  You let it speak to you.  You might even follow where it leads.  There are so many possibilities.

2014 Word of the Year

I have been thinking a lot about what my word for 2014 will be.  It is difficult to believe that 2014 is just a mere eleven days away.  This year’s word has been create.  It has been a great word for me this year.  I have been creating new work and taking more risks with my work.  I have undertaken a long-term photography project, which I hope to share more about next year.  However, it does not mean that fear has not been present while creating.  I think that most people encounter this when they are creating meaningful work.  Creativity and vulnerability go hand in hand.  I recently read a great quote by author, Elizabeth Gilbert, that sums up this sentiment very well — “I live a creative life, and you can’t be creative without being vulnerable.  I believe that Creativity and Fear are basically conjoined twins; they share all the same major organs, and cannot be separated, one from the other, without killing them both.  And you don’t want to murder Creativity just to destroy Fear!  Creativity cannot walk even one step forward except by marching side-by-side with its attached sibling of Fear.”   I believe that this sentiment is so true.

As 2014 approaches, I have been thinking about the word that I will choose to guide me through the next year.  Over the past several days, I have considered having open be my word.  I believe that we all have ‘blind spots’ — there is so much to learn and many things that we are unable to  see.  However, I think that if you have the intention to be open, you will therefore be more able to see the things that appear at the right moment, right when you need them most.  I believe this is how the Universe works.  It delivers to us right on time — although, sometimes, in unexpected ways!

Happy Friday!

2013 Word of the Year: Create

“Your own words are the bricks and mortar of the dreams that you want to realize.  Your words are the greatest power you have.  The words that you choose and their use establish the life you experience.”  ~ Sonia Choquette

One little word for 2013.  That is what I have been reflecting on over the past few weeks.  My one little word for the year, 2013, is Create.

Create didactic images.

Create new intentions.

Create new dreams.

Create opportunities for growth.

Create and be open to new possibilities.

Create balance.

Create a place for peace and refuge in our forthcoming home.

Create a Good Life.

cre·ate /kriˈeɪt/ [kree-eyt]  verb, cre·at·ed, cre·at·ing, adjective verb (used with object)

1. to cause to come into being, as something unique that would not naturally evolve or that is not made by ordinary processes.

2. to evolve from one’s own thought or imagination, as a work of art or an invention.

I really like this one little word concept.  The idea behind the one little word concept is to give yourself something to focus on throughout the year.  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, soft, and slow.

My one little word this year is create.  What do you do with this one little word?  You live with it.  You invite it into you life.  You let it speak to you.  You might even follow where it leads. There are so many possibilities.

This is the first year that I have selected one little word after reading about this concept.  After reading about this concept, the word, “create” immediately came to mind, and I decided that this would be my word this year.  I have written yearly goals in the past, and I still have written down my goals for this year, but I thought that I would try this approach and see where it leads, keeping the intention to create.

Also, if you are interested, check out this hand stamped jewelry by Lisa Leonard highlighting the one word concept!

What is your “one little word” for 2013?  What do you want to accomplish or focus on in the coming year?  I challenge you to create something, anything that will help you focus on your word in the coming year.