Posted January 14th, 2014
By Kris Powers
I recently came across a post by Jon Gordon who was sharing the concept of “Just One Word.” This concept is explained fully in the book entitled 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 it’s 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, I had just read a post by a great friend of mine, Janet, who was sharing her three year journey with “just one word”. She’s moved from “abundance”, to “healing” to “determination”. All of which might sound like ordinary words, but which, to her, provide an opportunity to shape her outlook on life and focus on what she hopes to accomplish through actions, words and deeds.
After reading Janet’s post, I came up with my own word, “blessed”. I’ve already practiced reshaping my thoughts and actions to better reflect how I feel and always want to feel, which truly is “blessed”. I remind myself to take a moment to pause before I react; a step that frees me to respond in a more conscious way. My word is about making intentional choices about how I look at things, how I let things affect me as well as the activities and people I let into my day. It’s allowing me to take control and live my life to the fullest.
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 my co-workers who are all thoughtfully reflecting on what their word for 2014 might be. Setting up visual reminders both at work and at home help me focus my thoughts and feelings towards my goal. Writing “blessed” 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 2014?
How can Ed4Career help you? We offer hundreds of career and professional development courses. The next course on my personal list is Time and Action Management; a course that will teach me valuable tools that will help me free up more time while still working towards my goals. Check out our course catalog here and while you are on our website, sign up for our newsletters and blog posts. We'd love to stay connected!
