I've been uming and ahing about whether to actually sign up for the class and do this 'properly' or just to do it unofficially. I've known what my word would be ever since I first read about it on Kim's blog, but today I finally caved and signed up and I think it's going to be really good. My #yearofmaking project is already encouraging me to be more creative this year and I think One Little Word will tie in really well with that.
Over the last few years we've had a few rough patches and especially over the last year I could really feel myself getting down about things, but instead of dealing with it I've been projecting it onto the world around me. On a daily basis I can hear myself constantly whingeing and griping about every single thing and getting unreasonably angry about little things. Some days it feels like all I do is complain, so it was easy to pick my word for this year: Gratitude.
Throughout all that's happened to us since we got married over three years ago, I've been able to hold onto how lucky we are to have all the things that we have in spite of what was happening; we have each other, our kids, a place to live, a wonderfully supportive and ever-expanding extended family and disposable income (although I need to do better with controlling it!). We are buying a house of our own and I am learning to drive through the incredible generosity and support of friends. We are so,so lucky. I have nothing to complain about,and so in 2015 I want to spend time with gratitude.
Because I'm not really a scrapbooker, although I do have an unreasonable love of collage and taking awful photos (must work on improving that this year), I'm going to do this through a mixture of a small notebook, Instagram and this blog. I said a while back that I wanted to post more non-book related things here and this and my #yearofmaking are the start of that. I think that my word will help me with the sense of overwhelm I've been feeling about the amount of things we have conflicted with my love of acquistion. Hopefully with a feeling of gratitude I'll be able to be happier with what I have and less always on the lookout for more. We shall see.
Gratitude (n) the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness
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What a great word for 2015! It challenges me to reevaluate the good things that I've been dealt with in my life and fight off that snobby other word: "entitlement". The idea of carrying around a small notebook is great because you can capture little moments of gratitude to re-calibrate the 'mood-meter' at the end of the day.
ReplyDeleteLovely post, Bex. It made me stop and think about all the things I am grateful for, as like you I can have a tendency to get a bit down/negative sometimes.
ReplyDeleteIf I was to choose a word for 2015, I think it would be kindness. Not that I am an unkind person now, but that I want to focus on being kinder to myself and to others.
Ok well now I've just found you on Instagram so I expect to see many more pictures. :) And Gratitude is a lovely word! I haven't thought about just ONE word for the WHOLE YEAR OMG!!! but I would like to be more mindful. Or focused. Or present. Something like that. I hope you have a really lovely new year! :)
ReplyDeleteGreat word! Have you read Ann Voscamp's, One Thousand Gifts? Have a wonderful year.
ReplyDeleteGratitude is such a lovely choice for this. It's so easy to forget all that we do have when things get rough or we feel down; I love the idea of focusing on what there it to be grateful for--and I hope it brings you joy this year!
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