What’s your Word of the Year? and Why? A Guest Blog

Guest blog with credit to Colleen and JB

Do you pick one word or phrase as your focus for the upcoming new year? Choosing a word can work as a meaningful guide throughout the year and be a compass for your goals.

Old friends Colleen and JB live far from one another, but for the past several years they meet on January 1st via telephone for their annual “summit”. They discuss their goals and dreams for the future. They come prepared with lists, notes, ideas for “word of the year” as well as a glass of champagne to make an optimistic toast.

The discussion always includes the usual topics like diet and exercise goals and often include budget/debt worries, creative ideas and travel plans. They bring their calendars to plan out a few trips to see one another (well, not this year!). It’s really refreshing to share a friend’s dreams and commit in writing to creative projects or specific action plans. They talk again frequently to check in on progress and offer support.


This year’s words:

Colleen ~ BREATHE. It’s been a stressful year with more to come, and the isolation has her wound up tight. Family health issues are all consuming and make her feel like a little helpless. Big on her action list are meditation, creativity as a release, and taking a good deep breath often.

JB ~ GRACE. Adopted from a book by Melanie Dale Calm the H*ck Down acronym “Gratitude, Read, Adapt, Create, and Engage.” All needed right now to navigate through this unusual and unknown territory ahead.

Colleen’s Summit Prep
JB’s table
JB’s sister starts the new year with a new box of chocolates
Colleen’s black-eyed peas and bacon soup

*Editors Note:If you need inspiration to find a word for the year you can click here to get to a list of 150 possibilities at Happiness is Homemade

Right Now It’s Filled With Chex Mix but I Have Plans

Have you chosen a word for this year’s theme yet?   Mine is gratitude.

This afternoon I drove home alone to Pittsburgh after a nice vacation in Ohio with my family. Two hundred miles can feel long and lonesome after all the activity with the family.    If you’ve been following along you saw that the girls and I went to Laura and James and had a nice New Year’s Day celebration with the rest of the family.

On my way home I spoke with my dear friend J in Omaha.  She told me about hostess gifts she passed out to her Fondue Party guests on New Year’s Eve. Here is what she gave them  ( a semi-guest blog, J?)

Picture a quart Mason Jar (thanks John Landis Mason 1832-1902) wrapped with a fancy bow.

Inside J put  a paper with instructions.

Starting January first. write good things down on little pieces of paper and put them into the jar.  Could be a goal accomplished, something good,  a happy moment,  a thought.  Then on Dec 31st, 2014, reread all the good things you wrote on all the little pieces of paper that you deposited throughout the year.

Right now this jar in my kitchen is filled with  homemade Chex Mix (thanks Laura)

But starting when it’s empty, we’re going to fill it with good notes.  Lots of them.  Kind of like Three Daily Delights by my number one commenter this year,  Stef.

Thanks for the good idea J.   It’s a wonderful way to start a new year.

Mason Jar

 

 

 

 

And a p.s. from J this morning   A photo of her gratitude jars all lined up plus the original instructions from her niece.

gratitude jars

The original instructions from J’s niece Jeninstructions for the jar