Last year, I had noticed a number of people on podcasts and blogs talk about how they would pick one word to inspire them for the year. So, I asked myself: Would it make a difference if I decided to select one word for the year to motivate or inspire me? Would I be able to stay focused on that one word? Could I become a better version of myself by selecting and focusing on one word for the year?

I know when there have been times when a situation has arisen, and I would be more inclined to not handle that situation well, my thoughts would jump to ‘grace’.

I finally decided, if nothing else, it would be worth a try. I pondered for a little while, but there seemed to be one word that was sticking, and that was “grace”. Per Merriam Webster’s dictionary, it means: a way of moving that is smooth and attractive and that is not stiff or awkward: a controlled, polite, and pleasant way of behaving: skills that are needed for behaving in a polite way in social situations.

My definition is a little bit different as it’s more about the way I handle situations that can be challenging or stressful, or where I could be more thoughtful. Back in January I shared my one word for the year on Wednesday’s Flower post: Grace.

I have enjoyed having this word to focus on along with the featured flower above to be my visual touchstone for the year. I use ‘Things’ for organizing my day and every day a reminder comes up that says “grace: have I done my best to act with grace.” There have been many times that I feel I haven’t, but I think the nice thing about having a word to focus on every day (granted that focus comes and goes throughout the day) is that it has hopefully made a difference. I know when there have been times when a situation has arisen, and I would be more inclined to not handle that situation well, my thoughts would jump to ‘grace’. I can’t say it has always made a difference as there are times when I’m in a situation and ‘grace’ comes to mind, but my level of stress or exhaustion gets the best of me. So, maybe how I handled a particular situation didn’t work as well, but by giving myself some grace, I know I will have the opportunity to try again next time and to keep working on being a better version of me. Like most of life, it’s work in progress, and with that I will handle it with the most grace that I can.

Share with me below: Do you think focusing on one word for a year is something you would do? Or have you done this before?

FEATURED FLOWER
Zeolights Calendula. Photographed @ The Huntington.

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