My Word For 2018

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believe, courage, encouragement, Fear, growing up, growth, Happy New Year, letting go, love, mindful, power, powerlessness, release, resiliency, surrender, trust, Truth

Have you ever noticed that the circumstances in life that you struggle with the most seem to repeat themselves over and over again, until you finally find a way to handle them differently?

In past years, I have chosen a word for the upcoming new year. Words like tenacity and service, or perhaps the words actually chose me as my friend Louise Gallagher, over at Dare Boldly has often suggested.

I am certain that my word for 2018 chose me.

Let It Go.

Yes, I know those are three words, but no single word I’ve found, such as release, or surrender, or acquiesce, have fully meant to me what those three little words have come to mean.

I realize, as well, that those three little words have not just made their debut in 2017. They have been waiting patiently at the sidelines for three years, maybe more.

You see, in my family, an issue arises and we scramble to “Fix It”. This works well when it’s a manageable situation like, my car won’t start – call AMA, or my computer is acting up – have you tried rebooting it.

Yet there are many situations in life where you can do all you know to do, and it doesn’t get fixed. There are variables that are simply out of your control, and those are the very things, in my case, that can roll around in my head like a PowerPoint presentation or video that has been set to ‘continuous loop.’

That loop can take over, and more often than not, it prevents me from taking action in other situations, over which I actually have some measure of power to make a difference.

And so, those three little words unassumingly step forward for the millionth time to gently nudge me, encourage me to recognize, to really see that it is time to let it go, to trust, and accept, and even embrace the natural unfolding of what is.

And yes, it really is as simple as that.

Wishing you all an amazing 2018 filled with courage, growth, resiliency and love,

Diana

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My Word For 2016

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Diana Schwenk, Fear, happy, Happy New Year, Hump Day Chronicles, life, Life's like that, living in the moment, love, service, tenacity, Word, words are powerful

I’m not big on New Year’s resolutions. But this is the third year in a row that I have chosen a word for the new year.

For 2014, I chose tenacity.

Believe you, me – I needed it! That was the year I gave all I had to the Other Bottom Line. I developed a marketing package. I created a brochure. I wrote posts meant to be used as a resource by non-profits and invited conversation regarding engaging the community. I actively sought out clients. Did tons of research. Worked with a few clients and documented the entire process for them. I sought advice and did everything I could think of to make it work. I really put myself out there, even when it was scary to do so.

Although it didn’t quite work out the way I planned, it was not wasted time – I got to work with some pretty amazing people and I learned so much about myself and working with others; things that have benefitted me since.

For 2015, I chose service.

It dawned on me at the end of 2014, that I’d become angry about so many things; governments, world issues, red tape and bureaucracy, the ways that people, including me, were treating others and so on. While sharing these thoughts with a friend, she wisely said to me, “You can’t do anything about how others handle situations. And you definitely can’t complain about it if you’re not personally doing anything about it. Figure out what you can do and just do it.”

That advice led me to choose the word Service. And it’s a tough one for me. I’d much rather give someone money to rent a moving truck than physically help them to move, for example. I got service wrong a lot and I’d beat myself up every time. Eventually, I got it right by setting specific goals and playing out potential scenarios in my mind, in case they came to be. I definitely need to keep working on Service.

In a world where many pursue (selfish) happiness and fall short, I discovered that for me, at least, happiness comes in service to others, especially when I get to employ my natural gifts and abilities.

For 2016, I choose love, or rather the word love chose itself for me. 

This year, I’ve become aware of, and sometimes participated in, fear-mongering. There seems to be a general move toward assuming the worst of people that aren’t like ‘us’ and it’s dividing us instead of building us up in the global community.

So I will use the word love like a measuring stick to make decisions. I will ask myself, “What is my motivation in pursuing a certain course of action? Am I motivated by love or fear?”

If it is love, I will move forward, if not, more examination may be necessary,  perhaps an attitude adjustment is in order before proceeding, or maybe it is not worth pursuing at all.

Something tells me I will be needing my old friends Tenacity and Service as well!

~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~

Do you make New Year’s resolutions or choose a word? If so, what have are your resolutions or what word have you chosen for 2016?