One Little Word® 2014

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Make your word visible: Order your own word from recycled matericals created by artist Colleen Attara here

My One Little Word for 2014 is thrive.

This year, more than any other I can remember, I'm starting off the year with questions. What does it mean for me to thrive? What does it look like? What does it fee like? Are there areas in which I'm already thriving? What's realistic vs. visions of what I have in my head of what it means to thrive?

Open was an awesome word for me last year. It was a touchstone as I navigated my way through growing pains and man oh man did it work in a million different ways I could not have imagined when I started 2013. More often than not when faced with a decision, I chose to open more rather than closing off which was my number one intention last year. That said, I feel like I've been spinning in circles a lot this past year. I've been reacting vs. being proactive and have been dealing with a variety of issues related to stress and growth (totally all part of my own life journey).

To me thriving is optimal living. It's being present and awake and stepping up to be my best self physically, emotionally, spiritually, creatively and within my relationships.

It's not a quest for perfection. It's an opportunity to continue choosing to let go of things outside of my control and to figure out who that best-me-right-now really is.

It will be a whole new journey and I'm here to tell you I welcome it wholeheartedly.

Bring on 2014.

This year I invited my friend Elise Blaha Cripe to film a little video about her experience with One Little Word. One of the reasons I admire Elise is that she is awesome at follow-through and documentation. I've loved reading about her experience with her words over the last few years on her blog and she inspires me consistently with her projects and her real-life reflections.

Here's Elise in her own words:

Thank you Elise for sharing about your own journey here.


AE_Thrive

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.

SHARE YOUR WORD THE COMMENTS | I’d love to read what word you’ve chosen or are considering for 2014. 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.

If you’re new to the concept of One Little Word, you can read some of my previous posts here: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013.


ONE LITTLE WORD® 2014 | To help keep your One Little Word® more visible throughout the year I offer a year-long workshop featuring one prompt per month. Read all the details and sign up here. Registration is $5 off until December 31.

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938 thoughts

  1. Anne says…
    12/30/2013

    BE - I wasn't even thinking about OLW, just looking ahead to 2014, and there it was. Amongst everything that goes on regardless, day-to-day, I need to remember to just BE :)

    Reply 2 Replies
    1. Melinda says…
      12/30/2013

      I picked BE also! I'm very excited about this word. I've picked a word for myself each year for the past 4 years but this is the first time I've registered for the OLW course. I'm really looking forward to the monthly prompts to keep my word present with me all year. Afterall, that's my focus. To BE present. In the moment. Feeling my feelings. Thank you for doing this each year, Ali. And hope BE is a fantastic word for you, Anne.

    2. Janine says…
      01/05/2014

      Hi Anne
      I chose the word be last year. I had been through a very difficult couple of years and I just wanted to allow myself to be. No expectations, no great projects. It was a great year, and as I started feeling stronger, projects naturally came into my life that I was happy to take on:)

  2. Dawn S. says…
    12/30/2013

    Courage

    Reply 0 Replies
  3. Sarah says…
    12/30/2013

    FLOW

    I am learning to manage expectations and just let things work themselves out. Let our 3 boys grow and learn on their own without my constant intervention.

    I'm going to GO WITH THE FLOW when I can.

    I'll also be revisiting the One Little Word classroom from back in 2011 that's in my BPC archives and incorporate it into my PL album.

    Thanks Ali for sharing. Know that you do touch our lives and make them better.

    Reply 0 Replies
  4. Susan A says…
    12/30/2013

    Begin. In order to move forward I need to begin.

    Reply 0 Replies
  5. Cindy deRosier says…
    12/30/2013

    Enjoy

    Reply 0 Replies
  6. Melanie G says…
    12/30/2013

    My word this year is POSITIVE.
    I try to keep a mantra to follow through the year as well. This year is "Positive thoughts, positive happenings" I will have it up and about in my house, in my art, at work so that I see it and think about it on a daily basis.

    2012 was Change (Change it or Change the way you think about it)
    2013 was Reduce (Reduce everything)

    Thanks for OLW Ali! It has been a joy to work with over the past few years.
    Th

    Reply 0 Replies
  7. Jenn says…
    12/30/2013

    Restoration.

    Reply 0 Replies
  8. debi says…
    12/30/2013

    My word for 2014 is *mindful*. I actually bought some pretty stacked rings to wear to remind me to be mindful. Of what I say... Of what I'm thinking... of how I live my life... with intention. To be *mindful*.

    Reply 0 Replies
  9. Maica says…
    12/30/2013

    My Olw is TIME, temps.
    Best Regards from Catalonia.

    Reply 0 Replies
  10. Terri Paulson-Sasaki says…
    12/30/2013

    Promise

    Reply 0 Replies
  11. Karen says…
    12/30/2013

    My word is FOCUS. I realize that I spend much more time thinking about, dreaming about, compiling information about, etc., projects and dreams I have than I do implementing them. As a result, very little has come to fruition. This is the year to focus on just a few ideas and see them through.

    Reply 0 Replies
  12. One Little Word 2014 | Tashia Doyle says…
    12/30/2013

    […] If you would like learn more about One Little Word, visit Ali Edwards website by clicking here. […]

    Reply 0 Replies
  13. Pam says…
    12/30/2013

    My OLW for 2014 is BALANCE. I have been struggling with work and home and all my other commitments and finding time for everything. This is the year when it will all balance! This is my 7th year with OLW and I love it. Believe, joy, inspire, family, focus and grace. ..

    Reply 0 Replies
  14. Caitlyn says…
    12/30/2013

    balance - because I need more of it in my life.

    Reply 0 Replies
  15. P.J. says…
    12/30/2013

    My word for 2014 is JOY. It instilled itself into my life earlier this fall. 2014 is going to be a tough year and needing all the JOY I can find. Both of my parents are very frail, elderly and with various health issues. I'm in charge of much of their lives now. To keep myself from being overwhelmed, I started daily actively look for JOY. The other day as I sat waiting at my Mom's doctor's office, joy came with 3 little squirrels as they chased each other up trees and through the fresh snow on the ground. CUTENESS X 3! and JOY X 3!

    Reply 0 Replies
  16. Christy says…
    12/30/2013

    FIND - I chose a word two years ago and it was discover - and discover things I did! Initially when find came to me while reading this post I thought that is just the same thing as discover and as I was listening to Elise I realized that find is entirely different as it implies to me looking for something you once had and want to rediscover vs. discovering new things. This is perfect as I have led a life of accomplishing things that although good do not feel authentic to who I am really am. So I am off to "find" my authentic self and just signed up for the workshop to keep me focused and having fun while I look. Thanks, Ali. (p.s. I discovered so many wonderful resources thanks to you! - Danielle LaPorte, Christine Kane, Marc and Angel Hack Life and the list goes on....)

    Reply 0 Replies
  17. Jessica K. says…
    12/30/2013

    EMBRACE. Embrace life, love, health, family and possibilities...embrace to me means holding those things dear to me nearer, exploring those things that will make me healthier and taking chances on myself and the possibilities within me.

    Reply 0 Replies
  18. Holly Ford says…
    12/30/2013

    This has been my hardest year so far to pick a word. My life between last year at this time and now got completely turned upside down and I find myself in a deep depression. So many things I want different right now, so much unhappiness, so much conflict, so little time for me.
    I chose the word MORE, because I want my life to be more than this. More than Depression, more than a caregiver to my mom with cancer, more than a mom to two kids. I want MORE purpose MORE happiness MORE personal development.
    I want to be MORE, because, darn it, I am worth MORE.

    Reply 3 Replies
    1. Ali says…
      12/30/2013

      I hope you copy and paste and print this out and put it somewhere you can see it often.

    2. Carol says…
      12/31/2013

      Holly, your word is amazing. Good luck with your journey. xo

    3. Vanessa Babin says…
      12/30/2013

      Wow Holly, I know how you feel. I am a caregiver to my quadriplegic son and I think about how I want more too. God Bless you and hope you get MORE out of life because you deserve it.

  19. Evalyn says…
    12/30/2013

    My word for 2014 is INVENT.

    Reply 0 Replies
  20. Tiffany says…
    12/30/2013

    This year my word is Action. There are so many things I want to do or needto do, this year is the year I plan to take action and do them.

    Reply 0 Replies
  21. amy t schubert says…
    12/30/2013

    Choosing BRAVE last year changed my life. Brave will be my word forever, I think.

    This year, though, I feel like I need to take better care of me and what I have. My word for 2014 is NURTURE. I'll be posting more about it in a couple days.

    :) Excited for our class this year!

    Reply 0 Replies
  22. Jen Ernst says…
    12/30/2013

    This is my first year participating on OLW and I am so excited! I have participated in multiple AE Projects this past year, I did Day in the Life in April, I am currently completing my Week in the Life album from September and I am also working on finishing up my first December Daily Album! I am so grateful that I took up project life last year as it was our first year of marriage and as luck would have it, we are expecting our first baby this year! So it will be so awesome to see how different our lives will be from one year to the next! My word for 2014 is COMPLETE. I will use this word as a daily mantra to motivate myself to complete my many craft projects, home projects, things as simple as the laundry or making dinner, classes that I have signed up and paid for to learn more about photography, crafts, graphic design, the silhouette, so many things to COMPLETE. I also hope to make a connection with this word and for it to help me cultivate a feeling of being COMPLETE. And when our little baby arrives I will finally BE COMPLETE as I have always wanted to start a family with the love of my life. Yes, OLW will be COMPLETE this year and last but not least I am hoping to really commit to and COMPLETE a years worth of meaningful sharing on my blog www.thejensspin.com Thank you Ali for all of your inspiration!

    Reply 0 Replies
  23. Lindsay says…
    12/30/2013

    My word is foster.

    Reply 1 Reply
    1. Tammy W. says…
      12/30/2013

      Excellent choice Lindsay. This was almost my word for the next year as we just became licensed as foster care parents, but a stronger word presented itself recently. Good luck with fostering you!

  24. charissa says…
    12/30/2013

    My word this year is refresh. I toyed with rejuvenate and renew, but I like the idea of refresh because it is about bringing fresh, New ideas, views, focuses to my life and the circumstances in it.

    Reply 0 Replies
  25. Erin says…
    12/30/2013

    I chose Enough for this year. I want to always remind myself that I am enough, just the way that I am. I am single & I am enough without a husband - don't need one to be complete (although, I would like one). Also, thinking about what it might mean to live simply in 2014, rather than continue to accumulate more & more. I think enough is going to serve me well. Excited to see where 2014 takes me.

    Reply 0 Replies

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