On the first Friday of each month, we’ll share a list of things whose number of items corresponds to the month’s number in the year.

We begin with one word in January.

from Kris B.

Many of you are probably familiar with Ali Edwards One Little Word project, a yearlong discipline that helps you to choose, live with, embrace, and embody a single word throughout the year.  The intention is that this process will help you to initiate, develop, and sustain  positive change in your life.  One Little Word is an amazing discipline to undertake.  I did it for the first time in 2016.  I was diligent for seven months and then somehow doing the monthly check-ins and activities fell by the wayside, though I never forgot about my word.  By that point in the year, it had become an integral part of my thinking.

In 2017, I tried again, with a new word.  Again, I failed to complete the entire year.

Last year, I chose one word, but didn’t even bother to register for the official class.  Based on my failure in the two previous years, I came to the conclusion that I could not make and fulfill this particular yearlong commitment.  That was a painful truth for me to accept.  I don’t like admitting defeat, especially when I am 100% in control of the ultimate outcome.  I did hold my word throughout 2018 and same some positive changes from having done so.  It makes me wonder if the changes might have been more profound had a fully committed to the One Little Word Project. I didn’t.  And, I can’t dwell in the past.  As a lifelong procrastinator, I chose TODAY as my word for 2018. It taught me not only to get things done today rather than tomorrow, but also to focus on and be fully present to the here and now.  So, today I am here in 2019, leaving behind 2018’s regrets and shortfalls.

Despite those fading twinges of what could have been with different implementation of my word in 2018, I am following the same practice in 2019 – choosing a word and working with it as best I can on my own, within the parameters of my other daily disciplines and obligations.

My 2019 word is BELIEVE.  

Because my first form of creative expression is through words, I understand the power behind them.  I try to choose the words I use carefully and with calculated intention both when I write and when I speak.  Yes, I often make poor choices in each case, but I do try.  So, when I set out to choose a word with which I am going to live and attempt to fully embrace for an entire year, I meditate, pray, and think carefully before settling on THE word.  BELIEVE was a long time coming.

I struggle daily with the need to just BE, to slow down and let my mind and body rest and rejuvenate, and the drive to LIVE full force, to not let an opportunity or an adventure pass me by.  Based on that realization, you might think that what I really need is balance in my life.  But for some inexplicable reason, balance didn’t feel like the right word.  I don’t feel unbalanced.  It is more like conflicted.  I thought about resolution, but that carries with it negative connotations for me and I most certainly don’t want a word that has the potential to conjure up even the slightest amount of negativity.

I went back to my original dilemma – to BE and to LIVE.  I decided I would choose the one that I felt I needed to most pay attention.  Unsure of which one that was, I wrote the two words side by side on a piece of paper and sat with them for what seemed like a long time.  Suddenly the words melded together and I saw BELIEVE. (Yeah.  I know there is an extra “e.”)  I was confused.  Believe is not a word that had ever crossed into my consciousness.  Now, here it was staring me in the face, demanding my attention.

Believe is a confusing word to me.  As I said earlier, I aim to choose my words carefully.  As I began thinking about believe, a couple similar words came to mind – trust and faith.  To believe in, to trust in, to have faith in…what is the difference in these three?  I turned to the dictionary.

Trust: “firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something.”

Faith: “complete trust or confidence in someone or something.”

Believe: “accept (something) as true; feel sure of the truth of”

Having looked these words up, I may be more confused than I was before having done so.  That said, of the three, I feel most drawn to BELIEVE.  So there you have it.  The birth process of my word for 2019.  At this point, I’m not sure what it really means for me or where I am supposed to go with it; I have the entire year to figure that out!  I am starting by believing that BELIEVE is the right word for me to journey with this year.  I’ll report back in December, and maybe mid-year, on my relationship status with 2019’s word.

Are you living with one word this year?  If you haven’t thought about doing so, spend a few minutes letting words swirl around in your head and heart.  One may find you and ask to be your companion through 2019.

Remember that we are giving away a $50 King Arthur Flour gift card next Friday, January 11.  You may enter one time on each of our posts between now and then by leaving us a comment.  Today, share with us as a comment with what your one word is, or could be, or should be, or might be in 2019.  Please note that it may take a little time for your comment to be visible publicly as all comments must be approved before they are posted.  This cuts down on spam…and boy do we get some interesting spam!  Stay tuned for a post where our Tech Guy shares some of our best Spam messages!

Thanks for reading.  Again, Happy 2019!

from Tracey G.

When Kris and I discussed this week’s post, we ended up laughing that we both had chosen a word for this year to try to integrate into our lives for 2019 – and it was for the most the same word. Believe. (And by the way, I failed miserably at my attempt at the One Little Word project, it, as Kris said happened to her, ended up falling by the wayside…)

When I ordered my planner for 2019, last August (or September, I’m not sure anymore!), I had just started delving into my “new way of thinking” thing – which actually just entails for the most part, being grateful for what you have NOW, when you have negative thoughts, let them go and replace them with positive ones, and believe you can do whatever you set your mind to, or want to do. So, I made a custom cover with the simple saying of “Believe you can – and you will”. That’s been what I’ve been trying to integrate intentionally into my everyday brain chatter, lol.

It’s honestly easy, but not easy if that makes any sense! Old thinking patterns are hard to break out of when it comes to how you talk to yourself! I know it sounds corny too, but affirmations really can have a positive effect on everything from your well-being to how well you accomplish something you wish to do. Most competitive athletes use visualization as well – and it’s proven that it can help you succeed. And I know it sounds trite to say “Just think positive!”, but honestly it makes a big difference in your outlook as a whole. I find that if I have a rotten day, if I mull it over and over and over, the rotten day continues. It’s rather freeing to know that yep, it’s ok to acknowledge the rotten day or rotten event that set you off – you’re human. But let it go as soon as you can, move your thoughts to something slightly more positive and eventually you’ll be back to seeing what’s good in your world and that will dominate your thoughts instead of the rotten. It improves your health too because you’re not stressing as much!

So, yeah, by now you’re probably thinking, “but what does this have to do with ‘Believe’…”? Well, I believe that if you set your mind to it – you can do it. Be it changing your mental attitude to something better, or trying out a new creative endeavor – anything. If you believe you CAN do it, you will. Plain and simple. We talk ourselves out of so many things in our lives, the mental chatter of “Oh, I can’t do that!”, without even really knowing sometimes that we actually can, we take it on “faith” that we can’t, there’s no actual basis in truth or facts that we can’t. So go into any new creative endeavor/project that you’re trying your hand at, with the belief that you can – it may take some practice and so forth (it’s not always instant gratification!), but you’re bound to be successful. Don’t ever give up the believing that you can. When you do that, giving up the positive belief, you’ve just sealed the deal that you can’t! Always believe!!

And I’ll just leave this right here as well….

Remember that we are giving away a $50 King Arthur Flour gift card next Friday, January 11.  You may enter one time on each of our posts between now and then by leaving us a comment.  Today, share with us as a comment with what your one word is, or could be, or should be, or might be in 2019.  Please note that it may take a little time for your comment to be visible publicly as all comments must be approved before they are posted.  This cuts down on spam…and boy do we get some interesting spam!  Stay tuned for a post where our Tech Guy shares some of our best Spam messages!

Thanks for reading.  Again, Happy 2019!