{Tiny Wings}

For the past few years, Ali Edwards and several other people have chosen a word to act as a goal or reminder for their entire entire year.  In Ali’s words:  “I began a tradition of choosing one word for myself each January – a word that I can focus on, mediate on, and reflect upon as I go about my daily life. . . something I wanted to bring into my life in a more tangible way.”

I’ve always loved this concept . . . and yet every year I had too much difficulty picking just one word to act as my guide for the whole year.  So I never participated.  As 2009 came to a close and people began picking their new words for 2010, once again I could not just settle on one.  And then this morning, as I was reading my friend Tracie’s blog, MY word suddenly popped into my head from nowhere. And it is perfect.

My word for 2010 is LISTEN.

(image by NumericDesign on Etsy)

Why listen?  And to whom?

I need to truly listen to my loved ones, giving them my undivided attention.  So often, I’m multitasking and not giving my children or my husband 100% of my attention when they’re looking for it, I’m ashamed to say.  I really want to be mindful to pause what I’m doing, and be completely in the moment with them.

I need to listen to the words coming out of my own mouth.  Sometimes I think I talk too much — out of nervousness, or when seeking  acceptance — and later regret it.  I would rather “be quick to listen and slow to speak”  for more meaningful interactions.

I need to listen to my body.  I’m tired of feeling less-than stellar for most of the time.  I need to slow down, eat better, exercise more, and stop pushing myself to impossible perfection.  Living in constant exhaustion is taking a toll, and I need to turn that around for my own sake and for my family’s.

I need to listen to God.  I need to spend more time in prayer and reflection.  This year has taught me that God has been working behind the scenes on my behalf, and that perhaps I should be paying more attention to the gifts He has given me.  I’ve been told that the more you talk to Him, the more He’ll talk back to you.  I’d love to be able to stop my own internal chatter (that never-ending To Do list, for instance) to listen to the quiet voice guiding me to my true purpose on this earth.

I’m so pleased with the word I’ve chosen . . . because I think if I remember to listen, the effect it will have on my life will be cascading.  Taking better care of myself and my family can only make 2010 a wonderful year!

This entry was posted on Friday, January 1st, 2010 at 10:43 pm and is filed under About Me. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.