Posted January 12th, 2016
By Kris Powers
A few years ago I read an article written by Jon Gordon entitled “Just One Word.” The “one word” concept is explained fully in the book Wisdom Walks, co-authored by Dan Britton and Jimmy Page. Simply put, the authors believe that one word can change our lives. It’s not a random word, plucked from obscurity but rather a word that is shown to the seeker after much self-reflection, meditation and prayer. Quieting your mind, sitting back and listening to the murmurings of your heart allows you to hear the word that you could use to open up possibilities and give deeper meaning to your life for the next year.
Interestingly enough, at the time, I had just read a post by an old friend of mine who shared her journey with “just one word”. Over the course of three years, she had moved from “abundance”, to “healing” to “determination”. All of these might sound like ordinary words, but to her, they provided an opportunity to shape her outlook on life and focus on what she hoped to accomplish through actions, words and deeds for that current year.
After reading these posts, I came up with my own word for 2014, “blessed”. I spent the year reshaping my thoughts and actions to better reflect how I felt and always wanted to feel, which truly is “blessed”. I reminded myself to pause and take a moment before I reacted; a step that freed me to respond in a more conscious way. My word was about making intentional choices about how I looked at things, how I let things affect me as well as the activities and people I let into my day. It allowed me to take control and live my life to the fullest.
In 2015, my word was “grateful”. I found myself alternating between my prior year’s word and this new one. I strove to be consciously grateful throughout the day; for an afternoon of beautiful weather to a night with my children around the dinner table. I also tried to express my gratefulness more, sharing with others how thankful I was to have them in my life.
My word for 2016 is "cherish". I want to focus on caring for and nurturing those around me. My youngest went off to college this past Fall, and I realize how quickly time is flying by. This is a new phase for us as a family unit, and instead of dwelling on the feeling of sadness, I'll focus on cherishing our moments together and our conversations while apart. Of course, I’ll continue to feel blessed and grateful and spread those good feelings everywhere I go. For honestly, I look at the "one word" as a ladder - each word builds on the next and all work together to get me where I want to go.
As educators, we are well aware of the power of the written or spoken word. We’ve all experienced the thrill of getting lost in a great novel, turning page after page, devouring the words and reveling in the emotions they stir up in us. And while a novel is a compilation of many words, the power of just one word is phenomenal.
I’ve shared this story with others who are thoughtfully reflecting on what their word for 2016 might be. Setting up visual reminders both at work and at home help me focus my thoughts and feelings towards my goal. Writing "cherish", “blessed” or “grateful” in my planner, on my computer desktop and on a sticky note on my refrigerator keeps it front focus and top of mind.
What will your word be for 2016?
How can Ed4Career help you? We offer hundreds of career, personal enrichment and professional development courses. The next course on my personal list is The Power of Goal Setting; a course that will teach me valuable tools that will help me work towards my goals. Check out our course catalog here and while you are on our website, sign up for future blog posts. We'd love to stay connected!
