Courage

Several years back now my bestie introduced the concept of selecting a single word to represent your coming year and we both jumped in with both feet and ran with it. For me, I liked that it provided focus and direction of where I wanted to go, while also being like a single-word resolution. When we both jumped in, we will admit, neither of us really recognized just how powerful it could be. But we learned soon enough...oh yes, we did. My word for that first year was Peace (2010). And I had high hopes of how it would bring me an inner contentment with where I was at and who I was. Instead it brought me a lot of challenges...almost a "be careful what you wish for" because you won't find it without working for it. But it was a powerful word and it definitely transformed me; which is kind of what I was looking for, right? It didn't fail to deliver that's for sure.

2011 - Quality: This was a boring word and I know that I chose something that was safe because I was so rocked by Peace. I didn't want another challenging year!

2012 - Strong: I know that this word chose me but I thought it was for different reasons. I wanted to build a stronger body and relationships, but life needed me to just be strong in every facet of the word. It was another challenging year. But I ended the year feeling like my word lived within me during 2012.

2013 - Light: Again, I went with an easy word because I was scared. And instead of it being about getting lighter and finding lightness in life, it became about finding the light at the end of the tunnel! With the knee issue and surgery starting off my year my word wasn't a real focus and I feel like I took the easy way out on that one.

2014 - Courage

I had lots of words bouncing around my head as I began the thought process of choosing my word - but really, I have to admit that my best words chose ME - and I even semi-chose one early in the thought process, Enjoy; but I knew that wasn't supposed to be my word. I felt it in my gut. So I switched to discipline, but when I read the definition it didn't ring any bells for me.

Yeah...kinda harsh, eh? Definitely not what I was looking for. But then I couldn't exactly say how or where Courage jumped out at me and like I knew in my gut that Enjoy wasn't the right word, I knew in my gut that courage was the right word for 2014. And it scared the heck out of me...this word - Courage. I knew that it was going to be one of those words...like Peace and Strong. I knew that it was going to take me on a ride and I seriously considered letting it go, but I knew that I would be disappointed if I did. So guess what? I found the courage to accept that this was my word and that it was going to bring me challenges, but I also found the courage to accept that it was going to bring me good things and that it would help me be the person that I want to be. I know it won't be easy, but just like the definition says, it is "the ability to do something that you know is difficult...". Talk about living my word!!

Click here to visit my Pinterest board for Courage that I'll be adding to throughout the year.

So today and throughout this year, I will be breathing in my courage and exhaling my fear. I know it won't be easy, but I'm ready.

Do you choose a word to represent your year? If yes, please share! I love hearing about others experiences with their words. :-)