My Guiding Word This Year

by dena on January 8, 2015

Have you ever chosen a special word to bring you support? Recently, I heard of a group of people who were doing this, finding a word that carries a helpful meaning for you as you move into new endeavors.

I joined a lovely mini email course Susannah Conway was offering to her readers as a gift, Find Your Word – which is still available, as of this writing. Susannah recounted experiences she had the last several years with welcoming a different word each year to support specific ventures and personal goals. As December approached, a word had not yet arisen for her, and she generously invited her followers to join her in a process of discovery that includes questions and self-reflection.

Tulip cave_Mt S_2014_4

To give you a flavor, here are a dozen or so words some people shared: simplify; devotion; balance; miracles; trust; nourish; believe; creativity; bloom; relax; self-kindness; release; allow; possibility.

There was, also, mention that a group of additional words can be included. I see this grouping, along with the main word, as a kind of committee or team that works to help me add more goodness to the world.

 

I want to share with you 3 goodies that have emerged in connection with my process of discovering the word.

  1. A 10-minute writing + 4 friends = a group word of FUN!
  2. A Miracle sharing project – – coming soon to this blog.
  3. My word-for-the-year

 

1) A 10-minute writing: I am grateful to have met last week with three of my girlfriends I hadn’t seen in a long time. After a sumptuous meal and some catching up, we decided to jump into something we’ve enjoyed doing together for ten years, a 10-minute writing exercise. I told them a topic I was about to explore in find-your-word, “What does my heart need?” All were in favor of it for our writing prompt, and our pens started moving across paper.

The next step was reading aloud what we’d jotted down. These were precious moments as we witnessed what one another’s hearts were missing and longing for in our lives.

A spontaneous group goal showed up. Well, more accurately, we each decided to make “FUN” a priority in our daily lives. A few days later, we decided to have periodic group check-ins via email to share the ways we are engaging and experiencing activities that fill our hearts with joy and laughter.

 

2) A Miracle sharing project: Someone’s word from last year, Miracles, seemed to fly off the page when I read it. While I didn’t know if it would be my central word, I realized this was a special moment and my job was to be quiet and alert. That was when ideas began bubbling up.

Very soon, I will come back to the blog to launch a project connected with Miracles – – noticing them in our own and others’ lives; being part of bringing miracles to others; and, (ta-da!) sharing our discoveries of Miracles. I plan to set up places to share on FaceBook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.

We will be looking at a broad definition of Miracles, they can be tiny or huge and everything in between. If you’d like, begin now to write a list of Miracles you’ve experienced or seen.

I’m very excited – – can you tell?!!

 

3) My word-for-the-year is . . . RADIANCE!!! When I posted my word and a mandala-in-progress on Instagram as others in the course were posting, I made a statement to go with it.

Radiance mandala_in_progressI am willing to embody Radiance throughout this year. As well, I welcome supports of Strength, Laughter, Collaborating, Grace, and Creativity.

My interpretation of the word Radiance is this: The brilliant light of Love burns brightly through everything. I intend that my moment by moment actions and interactions be radiant, loving. I pray to keep remembering that my heart is plugged into Radiance always, and to keep coming back to acting from goodness when I stray off course.

My will-complete actions in the coming months include:

  • Add nature photos between chapters in the existing eBook, Living Through Grief: Love Revealed, then bring this book into form as P.O.D./print on demand.
  • Launch the Miracles project on this blog and on social media.
  • Coordinate renovation/updating of kitchen and baths of my father’s house.

Note: If you happen to be reading this post at a time that isn’t near the beginning of a year, I encourage you to find a word and start letting it be a helpful guiding focus in your life. Even just for a fun experiment.

Blissings, Dena

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