One Little Word 2012
Poster print via Poster Inspired.
My word for 2012 is up.
It came to me one day last month while I was working in the kitchen and the kids were watching the movie Up. My initial connection to the word stems from the part towards the end where the old man is looking at the scrapbook his wife made and a note she wrote to him at the end which says something along the lines of "Thanks for the adventure. Now go have a new one." (Found the clip here.)
That's the attitude I'd like to be working towards and embracing in 2012 - giving thanks for the things that were great about my marriage and then moving forward and welcoming whatever is coming next.
Up | ready, eager, open, awake, into a happy mood
There were so many words I could have chosen for what I want for myself in 2012. This one simply feels like a good starting place. I will also be carrying three of my past words close to my heart again in 2012: light, story, and peace.
Are you considering selecting a word for yourself (or letting one find you)? There's no right or wrong. The main thing to remember is that this is your word. It's not for your child, parent, partner, spouse, sister, etc.
And 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.
I'd love to read what word you've chosen or are considering for 2012. In the comments feel free to simply leave your word as your comment or write a bit about why you are choosing this word. In a couple days I'll combine all the words into a single post - super inspiring to see all the words in one place.
In a couple of days I'll post a compilation of the words as an inspirational reminder to us all.
If you’re new to the concept of One Little Word, you can read some of my previous posts here: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011.
Above is an image of all my prompts from my album that I made for my One Little Word class at Big Picture in 2011.
Registration is open for 2012 and you're invited to join the journey.
Each month you'll receive a prompt with a simple creative, writing, or photography project and a gentle reminder to check back in with your word. By the end of the year you'll have compiled the contents of an 8.5x11 album that documents, defines, celebrates and generally makes your word more visible. Workshop materials include printable elements, full-color PDF handouts, and video presentations.
People have been asking me if you have to be a scrapbooker for this class. My answer is no. Even though we are making an album it's really more of a journaling/record keeping/thinking/exploring project. I'm excited to see how people interpret the prompts and make them meaningful for their own lives.
This is not complicated and it's not time-consuming. It's simply a way we can come together to share our experience with our words throughout the course of the year.
The One Little Word classroom opens on January 1, 2012.
TODAY'S POST SPONSORED BY | Simplify 101 Online Workshops
Regardless what word you select, choosing a word means you want to make your life even better than it is today. The very essence of One Little Word is improving your life, which is why this online workshop is perfect for you. It gives you the foundation, ideas and inspiration you need to dream about a life you love, plus concrete action steps to help you make it happen! Use code: ONELITTLEWORD through January 6, 2012 to take 15% off any simplify 101 workshop (may not be combined with other offers). ABOUT SIMPLIFY 101 | Founded by Aby Garvey, the co-author of The Organized and Inspired Scrapbooker, simplify 101’s mission is to make getting organized fun!
"Explore" will be my OLW for 2012.
In 2012, I will be married, turn 30, move to a new home and go on a 20 day trip to Europe. I hope to also explore new opportunities and do things that I have always wanted to do but never did get around to doing this year.
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I've narrowed it down to a few words, all words I would LIKE to use, but as usual, the one I'm supposed to have just holds on and won't let go.
My word for 2012 is 'strength'.
I'm going to need it.
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My word is "content" I am striving for peace, happiness, and a feeling of being satisfied... I definitely want to feel present in my life, moving toward goals, but content and "ok" with the here and now.
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I have chosen the word "Inspire" for 2012. This is my fist year of officially choosing a word, though I have thought about it for the last few years. This year, I want to inspire others and I also want to constantly be inspired. I have so many things on my "to-do" list for 2012, and I need to be inspired on a daily basis for these projects to happen. Today I have already been inspired by all the chosen words for 2012. Thank you!
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My word picked me…..commitment. Commitment to God, my family, my health, my friends, and my craft/business. I can’t wait to get started!
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My word for 2012: Explore.
I want to explore everyday and eveything as if it's the first time I'm seeing it.
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2009 my word was "Simplify", 2010 it was "Gentility". I briefly went back to Simplify at the beginning of 2011 when we moved from a house to a much smaller apartment, but then other life events took over and I changed it to "Kia kaha" (Maori, means "Be strong"). This year I think it will be "Nourish" - nourishing my soul, my relationships, my family, my life and even my body. I like it!
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What a fabulous idea. I have been thinking about this concept and what word to chose. After much thought, my word for 2012 has be BALANCE. With life, work, and family-I find pulled in many directions so balance is going to be my focus.
Thanks for the challenge,
Patti Bruns
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Write.
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Ali, I just love your word! We got Up for Christmas and every time I watch it something new stands out. Thank you for being such an inspiration to me and so many others.
My word for 2012 is Awake. I am going to try to make some big changes with my weight loss, health and fitness. I am signed up with OLW and MMEW and am excited to make some changes. I have been tracking my time and have found that in the morning will be the best time for me to get out and move. However, a morning person I am not! So I will take baby steps but am going to start moving more and living well.
As part of this word, I want to be more awake to the beauty around me, to my daughter and husband and giving them the time they need. Awake to my own needs for creativity and self expression. Awake to so many things and possibilities. Energy, explore, enliven; as well as making sure I get my rest. These are all themes I am working on.
I have already started a playlist and found "Awake my soul" by Mumford and Sons and "Brand New Day" by Tim Myers with Lindsey Ray. I have got my walking/running shoes and am ready to be AWAKE in 2012!
Annette - I had to say thanks for those songs - AWESOME.
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My word is Strength: Strength to carry on during health and family problems, strength to continue to live a positive life, strength to be a blessing to those around me, and strngth to stand u for what I believe in.
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I think my word for 2012 will be joy. I was switching back and forth between two words...
joy and passion
joy kept pulling me in :)
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My word is 'view'. I was fortunate to be able to take an early retirement 9 months ago, and have been having a blast. But now I need to focus on my relationships with family and friends, on my art, and my home. How I view these relationships, what I see thru my viewfinder, how I view my finished products, how my customers will view my finished products, etc. I'm going to set up a website, make business cards, and create my own look. View.
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I actually chose 2 words.. and they were a result of watching your "storyology" class and few weeks ago :)
"be intentional"
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My word is UNITY
my family has experienced physical & emotional disconnect this year, so 2012 is the year for Unity.
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My word for 2012 is Balance. This year my word was Passion, and thanks to your class I really did spend the year discovering my Passions and making them happen. Unfortunately I threw myself so intensely into some of those Passions that I neglected others, as well as many of the more mundane aspects of life. Now i'm drowning in clutter, overwhelmed by my to-do lists and struggling to find time to run or read or scrapbook. So 2012 isn't about giving up on any of my new-found joys in life, but rather it's about finding the balance between all of them.
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Several weeks ago as I was falling asleep my word found me. (Love that experience!) It was ME...because the past couple of years have been so hard. I've existed for everyone and everything else. It all seemed out of necessity & "right" but now I'm a confused, exhausted, blur. I wanted to find "me" again--me as a mother, me at work, me in my body, me with my relationships, me with my time, me with my decisions... I thought that if I could be the best "me" I could be the best mom I could be, the best eater I could be, the best money-manager, the best friend, the best of everything that I could be because I would know & be a firmly established me.
***I'm thinking a little about the word clarity instead of me.I think me is a more specific clarity...but clarity may be a more encompassing me. Gotta think on that.
LOVE this class & love this Ali & appreciate everyone here!!!!
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My OLW for 2012 is "embrace." Embrace the certainties and uncertainties of life. Embrace the changes and blessings that will come with the arrival of our first child in June. Embrace the love and support of family and friends. Embrace one another.
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My word (I think) is strength. Last years word was Journey and boy did the year contain journeys I had never envisioned. And I am anticipating needing strength of character to deal with my job. Strength dealing with my parents' declining health. Strength in dealing with this next phase of our boys' lives. And I hope to rededicate myself to being healthy which will take strength in the guise of willpower. Strength just seems a good choice. :-)
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I am pretty much settled on balance. This year was full of extremes for me. I was traveling too much, eating too much, spending too little time with my husband, working too much, having too little faith and having too much negativity - I could go on. I swung from side to side on extremes and never found a healthy, happy balance between all the different things pulling me in all different directions. I also chose balance because I want to really get into a good yoga practice this year and balance very literally falls into that word. I feel like this one little word is HUGE in my life so I hope that I can focus this year by taking Ali's class and really getting to the heard of it.
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My word for 2012 is PRACTICE.
practicing: art...inspiring hope...sharing my faith...teaching the skills I have been given...being quiet...listening...comforting...praying...helping...developing...living...giving and loving...
these are just some of the things that I want to practice doing for the first time, better, stronger and longer...
for God, for me, for you, for them, for us.
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Last year my word was space. I have to admit I didn't do much with it, and then when I did, it was no longer a positive influence as I felt bad / guilty about all I wasn't accomplishing.
I am going to try again, though. I haven't made a final choice - its between Enjoy and Believe. Enjoy to remind myself that I have so much, and I should relax and enjoy the moments - big and small- and not worry about what's not. Believe because it came up in several conversations with my daughter recently. Not sure where that one would take me. I think that either one would be a positive influence on 2012, though, and I'm curious to see how either one develops.
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The word(s) that I have selected for 2012 are LOVING KINDNESS. I cannot separate the two. It is what I want to offer others, it is how I want to treat myself, it is how I want to be with my children, it is how I want others to feel when they are around me and it is how I want my marriage to feel. The other word that I was strongly considering was productivity. I want to be productive in 2012, so that word will be with me also but it won't be my primary word since I think LOVING KINDNESS takes precedence and is far more important to me than being productive. If this were to be my last year on earth, I would rather be remembered for LOVING KINDNESS than being productive. That is how I made the final decision on which word to go with. As soon as I made this decision, I read a chapter in a book that talked all about "loving kindness" so I knew I chose the right one.
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My word for 2012 is FAITH. I need to have more faith in God and know that He is there for me during the bad and the good !!!
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My word is PRETTY. Sounds really shallow but after the 2011 I had - I needed beauty in my life.
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