One Little Word® 2015

My One Little Word® for 2015 is give

The process of choosing a word, or letting it choose me as is often the case, is always interesting. For me it often starts around October - words begin popping up here and there via reading or conversations or overhearing something on the radio. I tend to do a lot of listening and thinking and trying each one on for a minute or two or a couple days or longer. 

I know there is no perfect word, there's only choices and paths and possibilities. 

This year the word give showed up in October if I remember correctly. It came in more like a whisper - some years my words have been so loud as if they were making it so they couldn't be ignored. 

Give began with the idea of giving to others and the question of what is it that I currently give. I'm pretty sure it was sparked by my trip to Washington DC to attend the ONE Campaign's AYA Girls And Women's Summit. There was a shift in my thoughts and a vivid reminder that it's not just about me and my own stuff - it was such a powerful opportunity to reflect on my place in the larger world and become educated on some of the issues facing girls and women in Africa. 

Over the last few months since it first made itself known, my thoughts about the word give and what I want to focus on in 2015 has evolved which is something I always welcome as I choose a new word. Give, for me, is so much more than the process of "handing something over."

Give love. Give kindness. Give time. Give patience. Give to others. Give to myself. 

On a certain level, the word give for me is rooted in connection and openness and awareness and willingness. What do the people around me need? How can I connect with them through the process of giving of myself? Over the last year I've lost some of myself in work and the transitions and I want more than anything to reconnect to the things/people/places I most value. 

Another level/definition of the word give is the idea of bending and being flexible. It's a nod to living in the gray areas and working on lessening my constant grip on the black and whiteness of things. My ability to be black and white is at the same time very much a strength in some areas and a weakness in others. Discerning the difference between when to give and when to hold firm is something I'd like to explore this year. 

The third level of give for me is in giving to myself. Giving time to myself. Giving patience to myself. Giving kindness to myself. Giving love to myself. I like the combination of the connection with others and the connection with myself. It's an opportunity to fine tune and get clear and make choices that align with what I care about most. 

I'm also interested in exploring give up, give away, and give in - all three of which I see as positive steps/ideas vs. the negative way they could be taken. 

I'm looking forward to experiencing a new journey with a new word in 2015.  

PS | That awesome little whole heart pocket talisman is from my dear friend Liz Lameroux's shop Soul Mantras. Check out all her lovely offerings here

PSS | Listen to Elise Cripe and I chat about One Little Word® on her latest podcast episode here

SHARE YOUR WORD THE COMMENTS 

I’d love to read what word you’ve chosen or are considering for 2015. In the comments feel free to simply leave your word as your comment or write a bit about why you are choosing this word. Next week I’ll combine all the words into a single post – it's become tradition and 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, 20122013 and 2014.

JOIN ME

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

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523 thoughts

  1. HBMartha says…
    12/29/2014

    my word is FACE...Here is how it has trickled into my thoughts
    Learn to draw faces
    FACE my challenges
    Remember to floss so that my smile brightens my FACE

    Reply 1 Reply
    1. dawnmi says…
      12/30/2014

      LOVE THIS!

  2. bookemper says…
    12/29/2014

    Connection....

    Reply 0 Replies
  3. Mandakay0625 says…
    12/29/2014

    My word for 2015 is Believe. As in believe I can make positive changes form me and my family and complete them.

    Reply 0 Replies
  4. P_J_ says…
    12/29/2014

    My word(s) for 2015 are Live, Laugh, Love. I am going to use each word for one month. Then repeat through the year. Those are three things I will need to remember to do. Live some for myself, as my elderly parents get in worse health. Laugh since there are months in 2014 I didn't laugh about anything. And Love because it is just going to take more and more love to make it through.

    Reply 0 Replies
  5. lynda_berg says…
    12/29/2014

    grace

    Reply 0 Replies
  6. RjTjmom says…
    12/29/2014

    My word for 2015 will be Build

    Reply 0 Replies
  7. cariilup says…
    12/29/2014

    My word is "Fortaleza", Spanish word for Strength =)

    Reply 0 Replies
  8. NatashaP says…
    12/29/2014

    My word is Faith. Faith in myself, children and partner.

    Reply 0 Replies
  9. byrder says…
    12/29/2014

    I'm going with Grace this year - I need be more graceful, I need to receive grace from others, and i need to learn how to give grace. I want to remember to be grateful for what I have and I hope to have a fantastic year!!

    Reply 0 Replies
  10. elinjanne says…
    12/30/2014

    Action

    Reply 0 Replies
  11. JMikiten says…
    12/30/2014

    Enough. I am enough. I have enough. I've had enough. Have I done enough?

    Reply 1 Reply
    1. ximena says…
      12/31/2014

      Love it!

  12. ktber says…
    12/30/2014

    Holding the door open for Peace this year.

    Going into the second year of doing this project, I noticed how differently I am feeling than ever before approaching a year end and a year beginning. Before, I would think about the new year and feel like I had to "fix" everything at once in my life (or at least in the first 30 or 100 days). The pace of a year and the choice of a word is so much more realistic and less pressured, and accepting of how time passes and that this is a journey in which every day of every month adds up to a year of living. Thanks so much for this. BTW I had a soul mantra made for my husband by Liz for his word for Christmas and he loves it.

    Reply 0 Replies
  13. slightlycosmo says…
    12/30/2014

    Delight

    Reply 1 Reply
    1. dawnmi says…
      12/30/2014

      This is my word too! YAY!

  14. jendcnguyen says…
    12/30/2014

    I haven't done OLW for a few years now. But I feel like 2015 is going to be the year I am going to live a "SIMPLE" life. I want to de-clutter the bad, wasteful and unnecessary. I want to be positive and live a simple day-to-day life. I'm almost done reading "The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari" and it definitely has made me more aware of my life. I also started with the de-cluttering process by deactivating my Facebook account (after 8 years). Definitely waste too much time there! Good luck everyone!

    Reply 0 Replies
  15. Csmiczek says…
    12/30/2014

    Reconnect

    Reply 0 Replies
  16. jennyhadell says…
    12/30/2014

    My word for 2015 is strength. My focus will be on mental strength and physical strength.

    Reply 0 Replies
  17. Jacqui1902 says…
    12/30/2014

    After a very stressful back half of 2014, 2015 sees me facing challenges and changes as well as starting a new business. I've played around with words like FOUNDATION - building a thorough solid foundation to move on in my life, ANCHOR - fixing myself to the things that matter, building on old values and new ones to move on, BELIEVE - this word came about as I walked by my book shelf one day and saw a rock that my son had purchased from a Mother's Day Stall at school - it is painted with butterfly and the word BELIEVE - it jumped out at me actually ! So my word for 2015 is BELIEVE. Believe in myself to have the strength to overcome the mental and physical challenges that are coming. Ive moved the rock to my desk !

    Reply 0 Replies
  18. Notsunlight says…
    12/30/2014

    Nourish. My body, my heart, my family.

    Reply 0 Replies
  19. Dottie_Doodle says…
    12/30/2014

    My word is clarity. In thought, in planning, in reducing my posessions, and deciding what is important to me.

    Reply 2 Replies
    1. audmac says…
      12/30/2014

      I have chose this word as well, it's just a perfect fit for me right now:)

    2. audmac says…
      12/30/2014

      I have chose this word as well, it's just a perfect fit for me right now:)

  20. JulieChats says…
    12/30/2014

    After having THRIVE as my OLW in 2014, I looked back at my year to think about what I want to achieve in 2015. I kept my word with me all throughout 2014, even though I lost track of the project as early as January, when I learned my dad was told he had just a few months left in his battle with cancer. Even knowing this, it came as a shock that he passed away at the end of February. It took me a few months to get back to some of the goals I had set for myself last year. But I kept my word close to my heart and made some changes that would help me toward more of my long term goals. After achieving many of the goals I set for myself in 2015, I feel that I am thriving and want to take some time to eliminate certain things from my life and take more time to concentrate on the things that are important for me and my family. So, I started thinking about a new word and two came right into my mind...RELISH and SAVOR. I have researched them both and found that they are synonyms in some of their definitions. I am choosing SAVOR as my One Little Word for 2015 (I even started a Pinterest board for it!). I'm excited to explore it and I'm happy that it will serve as a reminder to stop, take a deep breath and enjoy what I'm working so hard to achieve. I'm ready for a happier, healthier, more relaxed 2015!!!

    Reply 0 Replies
  21. Christiebell says…
    12/30/2014

    Balance. 2015 is my year to find the balance in my busy life between family, work and me time. Improve my bank balance. Balance my feelings and hormones and to find a healthy balanced lifestyle - food & exercise.

    Reply 0 Replies
  22. Mel_12 says…
    12/30/2014

    I'm loving your word. I have been pondering whether to join in next year but after listening to you and Elise I jumped on board again. I then jotted a few words down and thought about what I want for next year and ALIGN got in my head and won't go. So Align it is. I was very excited about my word last year but that didn't go exactly to plan so hoping a snap pick of a word works better this time! lol.

    Reply 0 Replies
  23. Annabel38 says…
    12/30/2014

    Focus. Focus on my business. Focus on my health. Focus on one project/task at the time.

    Reply 0 Replies
  24. Lexa73 says…
    12/30/2014

    didn´t know what my OLW for 2015 would be but while reading your blog post, watching your video, listening to the podcast with Elise and signing up for the 2015 class, it just came to me `make´ Thank you Ali, looking forward to where my word will lead me this coming year!

    Reply 0 Replies
  25. dawnmi says…
    12/30/2014

    Thank you Ali for another year of inspiring us with a word! So excited for my new word "delight" and where it will lead me.
    I love your word and the reasons on it!

    Curious, do you plan on having the kids pick a word or doing a family word anytime in the future. My kids are teens and I would love for them to jump in but they don't seem to understand the concept.

    Happy New Year Ali and family!

    Reply 0 Replies

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