What Is In a Word?
January 6th, 2016 by Morna
What is in a word?
It seems that lots of people are choosing a “word” as a focus tool for the year. I have been doing this since probably 2005 when Kathy, the owner of the yoga studio where I practiced, passed around a basket with words. I chose “openness,” and at the time I asked if I could pick a different word. After all, the woman next to me chose love, which seemed like a much better word. I remember Kathy telling me that I was stuck with openness because the word had chosen me.
I went home, taped the word onto my computer, and let it be a reminder as I went thorough the year. Looking back, I know that this made a tremendous difference in my year.
What it did was focus me on being a person who was more open to opportunities, more open to challenges, and more open to other people. It required me to “be” or work on “becoming” a certain person.
That is what I like about choosing the theme. It is not about resolving to do something. It is about becoming, becoming the person you want to be.
Here we are at the beginning of 2016. I have been thinking about my word, or rather my intention for being, for the year. I looked back at the words from previous years — openness, abundance, challenge, joy, consciousness, trust among others. I mulled over a group of new words and finally found one that seemed to stick.
Before I share the word, I want to share what my friend Stephanie Bonte-Lebair does with her intention. She chooses two words. One is an inner intention about how she wants to feel. The other is an outer intention, a more practical intention. I like that approach. How will you feel by being?
What is my word? It is impact. I want to create a bigger impact with the people I work with. I want what I do to have a positive impact on people I may not even know. I want to have what I do have a greater impact on my own life. And, I want to feel mindful inside about what I am doing. This will all require me to take specific actions. Some, probably lots, will challenge me, which is good.
Have you picked a word to guide you for the year? If you have not, give it a chance. You just need to think of the quality or direction that you want your year to take. Need some help getting started. Think about what you might have resolved to do and ask yourself what quality is necessary for that? Or try a search online for character qualities and go from there. Lots of people immediately come up with a word that resonates with them. Others need a bit more time. My best advice is think of a word, mull it over, and if it keeps showing up, that is the one.
Once you come up with your word or intention, what do you do with it? Here are three tips:
- Write it down where you can see it. I put mine on a sticky note and attach it to my computer where I will see it every day.
- Share it with someone else, especially if the person will hold you accountable. Over the years I have shared mine with some of my mastermind partners or family members, and we talked about why we chose the words we did.
- Do something that lets you take action on your intention.
What word did you end up with? And, if you picked a word last year? Share your word below to make that commitment and see what you can create in 2016! You may also share your word on our ICAP Facebook or Google+ pages and leave a comment there.
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Morna McEver is the founder and CEO of the International Association of Creative Arts Professionals where creative arts entrepreneurs craft business success. Her weekly e-zine offers tips, techniques and inspiration to help you craft business success from your creative arts passion. You can sign up for a FREE subscription at http://www.creativeartsprofessional.com.
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