The Miss Elaine-ous Life

random acts of life, family and photos

My ONE Word

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A couple of weeks ago (you know, the beginning of the NEW year) many of my blogging friends chose a word to begin their year. A single word that they could reference for goals and thoughts and who knows what else. I was not personally going to do it because I am not very good with things like that.  I mean ONE word among ALL the words?  How do you DO that?  And truly, I am not a resolution maker…

However, during that first week of the year I came across a blog post that was not meant to conjure a word for me but it still did. In Jen’s post, she put the word right there, in black and white.

But her post was not about that (choosing one word) at all.

It was about actually putting that word into practice.

Please go read her post HERE, it is not very long… (I’ll be here when you come back)

Beautiful, right?

So I thought about it. And I realized, that really DOES need to be my word for this year.

I need to put down my phone and Listen to my children and my husband.

I need to close my lap top and Listen to what my children are listening to themselves and what they watching or doing.

I need to sit with my husband at night or when we go to lunch together and Listen to the work things or life things or just things that he wants to tell me about.

I need to just STOP and Listen to K’s singing or stories or B’s Lego tales or G’s questions (which he has a lot of lately…)

I need to just LISTEN. I haven’t been very good about it lately. They could all attest.

I need to Listen to my body and my mind and my own thoughts, but also find a way to calm them at times.

I need to Listen to my friends and neighbors and the kids’ teachers and stop thinking about other stuff or what I am going to say next.

I need to Listen to the birds outside and the lyrics of the beautiful hymn I sing in church and my priest.

I just need to LISTEN.

So that is my one word this year.

I’ll let you know how it goes in oh about 350 days… 😉

Comments

  4. Yes! Thank you for sending me to her blog and for your post as well. I needed to be reminded of this.
    I’ve been thinking of a word too (since everyone else had picked such beautiful, meaningful words already) and hadn’t really settled on one. I was thinking STILL should be my word. I just need to be still to be open to what is going on around me. But LISTEN really hits a chord in me. Maybe those two words go hand in hand, huh?
    Perfect, Elaine! Thank you!

  5. Yes! I need to do this too. I think I listen but really, can I, when I am playing Words with Friends on my phone at the same time.

    I so needed this.

    Thank you!

  12. Wowza. Thanks, Elaine, for sharing my post. I’m so touched that it resonated with you. So far so good for me. Though I must admit the kids are really keeping me on my toes (listening-wise). xo

  14. That is a great word! I haven’t chosen one yet this year but last year my word was “present” basically meaning to be present in the moment more-i.e. stopping and listening and being there. I think it is something we all need to work on as it is so so easy to get distracted.

  15. Her post struck a chord with me too. I’m not doing a word this year, but living more intentionally is on my list of resolutions and I think listening is a big part of that.