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!
My word for 2012 is FOCUS. Things have been crazy busy in 2011, and I feel like I have been in survival mode for several months. In 2012, I really want to focus on me (eating healthy and getting fit), my family (spending more focused time with my husband and both of my boys), my house (getting rid of clutter), and even my scrapbooking (it's time to stop dreaming and start doing!). I suppose in a play on words, I would also like to improve my photography skills, learning how to focus my camera and play with other settings as well.
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I choose MINDFUL
MINDFUL with my words
MINDFUL with my time
MINDFUL with what I put into my body
MINDFUL of my wonderful children
MINDFUL of my commitment to my husband/partner/friend
MINDFUL of my friendships
MINDFUL of capturing memories/stories/pictures
Thanks Ali! I'm looking forward to participating for the first time this year.
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I have so many happy & exciting things happening in 2012 that I chose "ENJOY" as my OLW 2012. I want to enjoy every single moment since it's so fleeting.
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control....be aware of what is under my control, be concious to exercise my control, recognize what is not under my control, accept it and move forward.
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My word for 2012 is RECORD. I want be more faithful in recording my memories for future generations. I want to keep up with my Project Life type yearly scrapbook and start a journal about what is going on in my life, feelings and scriptures that really hit me at that moment.
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my 2012 word is " DISCOVERY" (self-discovery).
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As with some others this year's OLW is BALANCE. Finding it, creating it, even hoping to acquire a bit more physically. :)
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My word for 2012 is cultivate. Last year my word was grow...tried many new things, took a new job, etc. Now it's time to tend and cultivate. Thank you for doing this Ali. You are inspiring and gracious and so amazing to me! I pray 2012 is a great year for you. I love your word and i wish you all things wonderful. Can't wait to join you for OLW again!
Jen
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My word for this next coming year is Faithful.
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My word is Abundance.
It chose me and I can't wait to see how it manifests in my life!
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I love this idea, moving forward or up for the new year! Great post, keep the positive energy and you will push people around you to be great too!
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My word is NOURISH. Here's where I wrote about why: http://thedaytofollowyourheart.wordpress.com/2011/12/28/nourish/
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I'm not 100% sure this is my word for 2012 yet, but so far my word is H.O.P.E. There are about 20 different acronymns that H.O.P.E. stands for but my favorites are:
Highlights of Personal Experience (Project Life & documenting)
Heart Open, Please Enter
Harvesting Our Personal Efforts
Hang On, Possibilities Exist
Healing Our Past Experiences
Those are just some of my favorites.
Thanks! ♥
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This is my first year doing OLW and although I was leaning towards Thankful and Patience, the word "Finish" is calling to me more. So, Finish it is...
In past years I have been great at starting projects but I have been less than stellar at Finishing them because I never feel like my ideas are worth finishing or that I am good enough at something to finish it. So - Finish is my word, my goal and what I will be striving for in the coming year. To finish some of the ideas I have started, the projects I have been putting off, to finally accomplish some of my goals. Thank you for having this class Ali and for being such an inspiration for so many of us. You are truly a courageous and remarkable individual to be able to put yourself and your stories out there for the world to see. You help all of us to realize life is not always perfect but that doesn't have to get us down! Thank you for keeping it real. May your 2012 be "uplifting". I just signed up for the class and cannot wait to get started - and Finish!
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There is a two-letter word that perhaps has more meanings than any other two-letter word, and that is 'UP'.
It's easy to understand UP, meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list. But when we awaken in the morning, why do we wake UP? At a meeting, why does a topic come UP? Why do we speak UP and why are the officers UP for election and why is it UP to the secretary to write UP a report?
We call UP our friends. We use it to brighten UP a room, polish UP the silver, warm UP the leftovers, and clean UP the kitchen. We lock UP the house and some guys fix UP the old car.
At other times the little word has real special meaning. People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UP excuses. To be dressed is one thing, but to be dressed UP is special. A drain must be opened UP because it is stopped UP. We open UP a store in the morning but we close it UP at night.
We seem to be pretty mixed UP about UP!
To be knowledgeable about the proper uses of UP, look the word UP in the dictionary.
In a desk-sized dictionary, it takes UP almost 1/4th of the page and can add UP to about thirty definitions.
If you are UP to it, you might try building UP a list of the many ways UP is used. It will take UP a lot of your time, but if you don't give UP, you may wind UP with a hundred or more.
When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding UP. Yet when the sun comes out we say it is clearing UP. And when it rains, it wets the earth and often messes things UP.
When it doesn't rain for awhile, things dry UP.
One could go on and on, but I'll wrap it UP, for now my time is UP, so... It is time to shut UP!
Now it's UP to you what you do with this email.
that was fun! :))
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Ali,
Don't know if you are familiar with the author Debbie Macomber (I love her Cedar Cove series) but anyway she has a new book out January 3 and it's called
ONE PERFECT WORD
Her word this year is Magnify
(She talks a little more about it in her newsletter if you would like to check it out)
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My world is calm.
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My word for this coming year is PLAY. I deal with chronic pain and it is often difficult to find the child in myself. This will be the year that I play more and hurt less. Last year my word was draw and it turned out to be so wonderful that I am certain this one little word will also.
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Hi Ali! My word for 2012 is "harmony." I know that my home life and my work life (teaching) will rarely be in balance, so I have chosen harmony to strive for each part of my life to live in harmony with the other. :)
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I think I'm ready to pick my OLW for 2012...it's CHOICE.
I'm also gearing up to do OLW with my 8th grade students. I did this last year; it's a great way to spend our first day back from Christmas break AND I like the self-reflection it gives my students :-)
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I started thinking about the word "humble" a lot after Labor Day 2011, I realize it's not the whole year, but I am going to continue this through 2012 because I think it has changed the way I live life and I want to continue in that direction. I humble myself when I mentally get upset with my husband about something and remind myself that I am not perfect either, even about little things. I humble myself when someone, friend, stranger, annoys me in some way and I realize I probably have some characteristic or habit that someone else may not like. Without telling my husband about this one little word my husband told me my attitude has positively changed lately and I truly believe this is a reason.
amy
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I have been watching you do this for a few years. I remember when there was a word every week, or something of the like. Through all of that no word "came" to me until the other day. I was thinking about what I want out of life and BE came to mind. I will use it to precede other words like Be strong...be kind...be yourself... thank you for this opportunity to grow!
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"faithfulness"
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My word for 2012 is MOVE.
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I just came up with it. I've already had the words IMPROVE and TIME and this year i've chosen: enjoy :)
Better use of my time off, learn something new in the kitchen, do more scrapbooking and enjoy more my classes.
Thanks for the inspiration.
Love from Spain :)
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