One Little Word 2011

It's hard to believe it, but 2010 is behind us and we are already stepping into a new year.  Where did that last year go??  So much happened in my life, and yet the year seemed to just slip by.  It really reminds me to make the most of each day, because they are gone so quickly.  Definitely some motivating thoughts I need to keep in mind!

One Little Word

One of the things I enjoy doing when I have time, which these days seems to be rarer and rarer since I've been in college, is scrapbooking. Pretty much it's kind of like journaling my life with photos, in an artistic way. One scrapbooker who's blog I think is just great, Ali Edwards, does an annual project called One Little Word. The idea behind the one little word concept is to give yourself something to focus on throughout the year. (You can check out her blog here http://aliedwards.typepad.com)

When the new year started I already knew that there were areas in my life that needed focusing, so I decided to participate and choose a word for myself. If I could choose one word that sums up what I want for myself in 2009 it would be shine. In every aspect of my life, be it in relationships, personal disciplines, how I relate to my children, academics, finances...to truly give my best to my life, myself, my family, and my friends.

Here is the definition:

Shine To give or cause to give light; to be eminent, conspicuous, or distinguished. radiate. luminesce. glow

I guess in a way it's just an expression of my desire to do better, and to see improvement in certain areas of my life. All the little things adding up, each moment, each decision. To be completely honest, I, like many people, have moments of sheer determination and clarity only to have those moments followed up with failure. But I think it's important to remember to not completely give up on your goals or desires just because you make a mistake. At those moments we need to just keep going. I have already seen this in so many areas of my life, although I wish I could say it wasn't so. Already I have made some pretty good mistakes in areas that are really important to me. I let down a friend. I didn't stick to my budget. I said things that I later regretted in a big, big way. I skipped a run, and didn't turn my homework in on time. Just to name a few. No, this is not confessional. I guess it's just my way of recognizing and accepting that although I have expectations for myself, I'm far from perfect and need to allow room for grace. For myself and others. And hopefully those in my life will give me room for grace as well. I want to see just how far one little word can reach. The sunshine is always there...sometimes it's just hiding behind the clouds.