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. Cynthia says…
    12/30/2013

    NEXT

    It was a 4-week series at church a month ago...how God has a NEXT for us as individuals and as a church. The word NEXT really struck me and stuck with me. I want to know what God's NEXT is for me. I know I will have to make many huge changes this year and I'm a little nervous and very excited. NEXT seemed perfect for my One Little Word!

    Reply 0 Replies
  2. Sheila says…
    12/30/2013

    whole.

    Reply 0 Replies
  3. Heather R says…
    12/30/2013

    evolve

    Reply 0 Replies
  4. HeatherO says…
    12/30/2013

    Enjoy

    Homework, soccer practicex3, dance class
    Even when my kids push every button I posess
    I know that some day I will miss it all

    Reply 0 Replies
  5. Allison says…
    12/30/2013

    Trust.

    Reply 1 Reply
    1. Rachael Hectus says…
      01/30/2014

      My word is also trust. Trust myself and my emotions. Trust others to take care of themselves. Trust the Universe to provide for our needs and provide opportunities. Trust my marriage and the love that it holds. Trust. It is a huge one for me.

  6. Jennifer K says…
    12/30/2013

    FORWARD. As in, moving forward in life. After getting settled in a new state (which feels like a strange new life), and working on recovering physically and emotionally from several very stressful years, I feel it's time to (and I'm ready to) move forward. (My 2013 word was Restore, which was a wonderful encouragement to me this past year!)

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

    I'm on the same word as you are, Ali - thrive. I've been choosing my one little word for the last 5 years and those words were always a huge part of my everyday life. In January I've started working full-time for the first time as being a mom and a lot of days I've felt like I'm working on auto-pilot. 9-5 work, dinner, prepare lunches, homework... In 2014 I'm hoping to get back to "myself" more, to enjoy the everyday chaos more fully and to push myself to take better care of myself, not just of my family. I want to thrive!

    Reply 0 Replies
  8. Kim Bolyard says…
    12/30/2013

    How do I choose just one word....over the past month I have been finding myself using the word "relax" a lot. Reminding myself to relax, slow down and don't sweat the small stuff...having said that the word Joy has been popping up all around me...from the beautiful necklace I bought from Lisa Leonard, to the " Peace and Joy words I display in my home at Christmas, and here on the recycled word link you posted was the word Joyful...I have a feeling that if I just relax a little I will find Joy and have a joyful year. At least that is what I am striving for...so I choose to 'Relax" and be "Joyful" because I need to remember that I am truly blessed.

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

    SEEK.... I'm seeking out who I am as an individual this year. I need to find her again, amongst being a mother and a wife..

    Reply 0 Replies
  10. Jennie says…
    12/30/2013

    celebrate!

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

    Still.

    Reply 0 Replies
  12. Michele R. says…
    12/30/2013

    I've been thinking about kind and magic. Magic seems to be speaking a little more lovingly to me and my heart.

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

    This is my first time "playing along." Thanks Elise for that snippet, I love when girls are deep thinkers, yay! to us! Originally I was thinking of GO! to get this business going. But I think this other word hits so many chords in life.

    My word is WORD: Studying it (God's), hearing it, applying it, speaking it in love, what I choose to say,how and to whom, adding quality words to my blog, keeping it [follow through], taming them, profiting from them. WORD!

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

    I turn 50 in 2014 and have been pondering how to prepare for this milestone -- in other words, training for 50. Santa brought me a brand-new activity monitor to help with the physical part of my training.

    Its name: SHINE. And thus my 2014 OLW chose me.

    I'm going to shine, sparkle and glisten in all aspects of my life -- and then spread that life glitter around.

    Reply 1 Reply
    1. Peg says…
      12/30/2013

      You sound like you are sparkling already. Thanks for the smile and YOU GO GIRL!! :)

  15. creole wisdom says…
    12/30/2013

    I chose "listen." Or maybe it chose me. This is my second year choosing a olw and last year's "authenticity" changed my life. I'm excited to see everyone's words listed out and I'm curious if anyone will choose the same word I did.

    Reply 0 Replies
  16. Patti L says…
    12/30/2013

    I like this exercise, and a lot of friends & family have gotten in on the concept too.

    Past few years words: Be, Balance, Hope, Commit, Jump

    This year it's Home. And it means a lot of different things.

    Reply 0 Replies
  17. becky h says…
    12/30/2013

    EMBRACE

    Reply 0 Replies
  18. Robyn :) says…
    12/30/2013

    My word is Patience. I am pregnant with my first child so I need all the patience I can get!! I am the most impatient person in the world.

    Reply 0 Replies
  19. Laura says…
    12/30/2013

    Content. Each year I seem to find "things" (projects, animals, new babies) to "fill" something within me. I just finished my masters degree two weeks ago and have space. I don't want to add any more... I just want to be content with what I have and where I'm at.

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

    Focus.

    Reply 0 Replies
  21. Linda says…
    12/30/2013

    My word for 2014 is Embrace. It found me in Nov!

    Reply 0 Replies
  22. Ashley says…
    12/30/2013

    ARENA.

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

    "discover"

    Reply 0 Replies
  24. carla says…
    12/30/2013

    My word is capture. I choose it for photography then I look up the definition. This word will fit into my life for 2014.

    Reply 0 Replies
  25. Karen W says…
    12/30/2013

    My word for 2013 didn't hold its usual power for me. I thought maybe I'd keep it for another year, but just this weekend, I realized the right word for 2014 is "simplify." It seems so obvious now as I'd already signed up for a year long class called "A Simple Year." I want to simplify a lot of things: my creative process, my home, my menu planning, our eating habits, and on and on. I'm excited to start the new year!

    Reply 0 Replies

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