Goodbye 'GO,' Hello 'BELIEVE'

This will be my third year participating in something called "One Little Word." I first learned about it on Ali Edward's blog, and now I'm taking her "One Little Word" class via Big Picture Classes for the second year in a row. So what is OLW? Here's some thoughts from Ali herself:

"A single word can be a powerful thing. It can be the ripple in the pond that changes everything. It can be sharp and biting or rich and soft and slow. From my own personal experience, it can be a catalyst for enriching your life. In 2006, I began a tradition of choosing one word for myself each January—a word that I can focus on, meditate on, and reflect upon as I go about my daily life. . . These words have each become a part of my life in one way or another. They've been embedded into who I am, and into who I'm becoming. They've been what I've needed (and didn't know I needed). They've helped me to breathe deeper, to see clearer and to grow. It can be something tangible or intangible. It can be a thought, a feeling, or an emotion. It can be singular or plural. The key is to find something that has personal meaning for you. This is not your mother's word or your spouse's word or your child's word—this is YOUR word. One little word can have big meaning in your life if you allow yourself to be open to the possibilities." - Ali Edwards, taken from the OLW 2013 Workshop Page

Each year I make a necklace
with my word to be a
constant reminder.

It's a really interesting and often revealing process, this OLW. Last year, my word was 'GO.' When I started the year, I thought for sure that meant physically going (namely, to move out of my mom's house). Well, here I still sit, so that certainly wasn't what happened! It mostly ended up being about two phrases: 'Let Go' and 'Go Back.' Let Go - of all the hurts of the past and of everyone else's expectations for me. The only expectation that matters is God's. Be willing to trust God's control and plan for my life. Go Back - remembering what made me, 'me' in the first place. Especially the creative me. I had a nervous breakdown several years ago and have been struggling to regain both my self-confidence in me as a person and me as an artist since then. Also, remembering why I believe what I do and relying on the promises of God. Are either of these phrases complete in me yet? Certainly not! But I think they are stepping stones that God is helping me to work through - so that I can physically go and move on to the next stage of my life. So 2012 ended not quite how I planned, but with more self-awareness than I've ever had before. 

So, so long, 'GO' - and Hello 'BELIEVE.'

My word for this year is 'BELIEVE.' Right now, it mostly means believing in myself, and 'make believe' - awakening my creative spirit. Who knows where this word will take me by the end of the year. I look forward to the journey!