life in general

one little word 2013: april

Each photo represents something related to my one little word for this year . . . thrive.  Something that I did in the month of April.  It sure is cool to see it all together on one page.  Dang!  April was a good month!

I also wrote action statements on each photo to remind myself how I was feeling in that moment.

As I look at each photo and each statement I think to myself over and over again, "yes, I'm thriving, I'm doing this, keep moving forward, one step in front of the other."  This one little word really is a journey and a process.  It doesn't happen overnight.  But it also does not consume my life.  

It is something that I think about often and I use this word to help me make choices.  Is this helping me thrive?  What can I do in this experience/situation to make my word proud?

Thrive in 2013

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one little word 2013: march

The assignment for this month was ACTION.  Take your one little word, make a plan, and actually do something with it in mind.

At the beginning of the year I wrote 12 intentions for my one little word, "thrive".  Most are things that I will touch on every month.  Others will come into play less frequently or may be a one time event/project.  But together they will come together to help me achieve what I want to get out of my word this year.

As I read through my list I was so pleased to see that I took ACTION for nearly every one of my 12 intentions this month!  

thrive // within -- prayer, gospel reading, more spiritually minded

    ACTION: Attend the temple.  And I'm so glad we did.  Bonus - Scott and I got to enjoy a beautiful golden sunset on our way up to the temple.

thrive // love -- show my love openly

    ACTION: I took Payton on a breakfast date to Jamba Juice (his favorite) just because.  I made sure to tell him how much I loved him and what I love about him.

thrive // friendship -- maintain my long-distance friendships

    ACTION: I joined in via Facetime for Jenn's birthday lunch at Sheila's house.  It's always such a treat to participate in these things.  Even when I drool as I watch them eat Better Than Anything Cake.  :)

photo by Paige

thrive // home -- do home projects now, start somewhere

    ACTION: I painted the family room and most of the kitchen all by myself

thrive // extend -- call, invite, and initiate activities & conversation

    ACTION: We had several families over for brownie sundaes on 2 separate occasions and then another gathering for dessert on Easter Sunday.  That's a total of 7 families in our home this month!  (As Scott later said, "No one can ever accuse us of not being social.")

thrive // family -- more games, movie nights, and working together

    ACTION: Rather than spend an evening at home watching tv, I encouraged us all to get up and go out on a family walk and it was great.

thrive // body -- walk. exercise. yoga

    ACTION:  I'm proud to say that I worked out 4-6 times per week for the entire month!

thrive // flourish -- working on mom's shop

    ACTION: I made 200 cupcake toppers for her new business/creative endeavor

thrive // create -- do something creative

    ACTION: Using inspiration from Pinterest I made these crowns for display during my Relief Society lesson.  Later that night we had a few little girls over at our house and I gave them each one to take home.

thrive // time -- assess how I spent my time

    ACTION: After the kids went to bed I made an effort to spend time with Scott, rather than spending time with the computer.

thrive // cultivate -- new relationships & friendships. Really get to know people.

    ACTION: We made cute Easter treats and dropped them off at several houses.  

thrive // me -- be my best possible self

    ACTION: a daily work in progress

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one little word 2013: february

This month in my one little word workshop we were assigned to create a vision board.  Rather than cut up magazines and glue them onto a canvas, I decided to digitally cut and paste quotes that I have collected on my thrive // OLW 2013 Pinterest board.

I love all the color.

 

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I ordered this necklace for myself and it arrived just this week!  I love it.

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What's your word?

one little word 2013

It's the last day of January.  The last hours, really.  And I wanted to share . . . document . . . my one little word for 2013 before the month is over.

This is year number 7 of going on a year long journey with one little word

2006 - simplify

2007 - play

2008 - organize

2009 - joy

2011 - nurture

2012 - embrace

My one little word for 2013 came to me in early December.  It seemed to fit well with what I wanted for the next year.  But I needed it to sit a while.  Percolate.  So I could be sure this was the perfect word.

Thrive.

After a year of trying to "embrace" . . . accepting, being willing, taking it all in . . . I felt like I needed something that could now help me move forward.

I think I've mentioned this before, but during many parts of 2012 I felt like I was merely surviving . . . going through the motions and routines . . . and not really enjoying life.  Maybe it was a coping mechanism.  Holding things together just enough so they don't fall apart -- and for me that was a good thing.

It was during my trip to Oregon in December that my girlfriends and I discussed choosing our words for 2013.  I love that we all share this method of goal-setting.  And I love that it becomes a way that we encourage one another and a way that we can tap into each other's needs and desires.

During that trip I was reminded what it felt like to feel full, alive . . . to thrive.

Later that month, on Christmas morning I opened a gift from my mom.  A nice little book about home decorating.  How nice, I thought. I set it aside and the present opening continued.  When the morning festivities calmed down a bit I picked it up again and began reading the introduction.  I got to this page and was absolutely struck.  See that quote block . . . . 

"It's time to get out of survival mode and start thriving."  --Inspired You: Breathing New Life into Your Heart and Home

I thought, "is she writing about me???" And then it was decided.  Done.  My one little word for 2013 is THRIVE.

 definition:

to grow vigorously
to progress toward or realize a goal despite or because of circumstances
to prosper
to make steady progress
to grow strong and healthy

synonyms:

flourish
prosper
succeed
bloom
expand 

There are several facets of my life that I want this word to touch.  I've begun to write out an action plan because a word like Thrive requires action, and because I enrolled in the One Little Word 2013 workshop taught by Ali Edwards for a 2nd year.  She has such wonderful prompts and messages to help you think about & work with your word all year long.

This year I want to focus on THRIVING in this new state (I can barely believe we're coming up on 1 year since the big move).  I want my life to feel full, I want to feel growth, I want to make connections . . . I just want to feel like I am moving forward and becoming. No more remaining stagnant.

2013 . . . THRIVE

Source: etsy.com via Shannon on Pinterest

 

good-bye 2012 . . . hello 2013

It goes without saying that 2012 was . . . . something else.  Wow!

We moved to Nevada.

We waited.  And waited.  And waited for our short-sale to go through.

The summer was hot.

Most of the year was a bit lonely for me as finding friends was a challenge.

The start of middle school ramped up our lives in a hurry.

Scott finished business school.

We finally got into our house.

My one little word for 2012 -- EMBRACE -- has helped me through all these changes. 

Because of this one little word . . . I was able to spend 7 months in a hot apartment and not go insane!

Because of this one little word . . . I made sure that we spent a lot of time exploring, discovering, and enjoying our new area.  Love the place you live.

Because of this one little word . . . I had the courage to be more outgoing & friendly than I have been in a long time -- initiating lots of conversations and remembering to be the first person to say hello.

What I learned in 2012 . . . .

*Everyone has a story.  Everyone has something they are dealing with, struggling with, or weighs on their heart.  No matter how "picture perfect" they may look on the outside.  My eyes have been opened to be more aware of others, to look closer, and listen deeper.

*Sometimes you have to fake it 'til you make it.  And that's okay.  It can be the first step in the process.

*Keep a rubber mallet handy.  It's the best tool for killing a scorpion in your house.

With that, I can say with surety that I am ready to close the book on 2012!  Saying good-bye to living in limbo, moving boxes, and long-distance commuting.  Ready to close the book on what didn't work out, the things that were hard.  Letting go of un-realized expectations.  I want to be done thinking about those difficult months and letting them define my experience here.

It's time to turn the page and start fresh!  I love that the new year gives us the opportunity to do that

I have a new one little word for 2013.  I'm still gathering my thoughts on what it means to me and what I'm going to do with it. But I am excited!  It's going to be awesome.  I will share more in January.

Happy New Year, friends!

one little word 2012: january

I counted back and I've been doing this one little word thing for about 6 years

Past words have included:  nurture (2011), joy (2010), organize (2008), play (2007), simplify (2006)

For 2012 I had a general feeling for what I wanted my word encompass.  I began making a list in December.

begin
welcome
discover
bloom
open

They were each right on the cusp, but not quite there.

So I began reading the list of "words" that Ali Edwards posted on her blog last year.  

And I found it.  I know that I've found my word when the little hairs on the back of my neck get tingly, my heart jumps, and my eyes tear up.

Why such a reaction over a simple word?  Well,

that one little word is something I will carry in my heart over the course of the year

that one little word will whisper to me "do better, try harder"

that one little word will remind me to live intentionally

that one little word is a stepping stone to get me closer to the person I want to be

My one little word for 2012 is . . . . Embrace

To make sure I stay accountable to this word throughout the year, I signed up for Ali Edwards' One Little Word Class.  Each month there is a prompt or assignment to help you refocus on your word.

For January . . .

definition:  

to take or receive gladly or eagerly; accept willingly
to take in with the eye or the mind
to take or clasp in the arms; hug 

 

thesaurus:  

welcome
accept
seize
grasp
adopt
embody
take in arms

I chose this word because: 

With the move to las vegas this year there are so many changes in the horizon (ward, friends, school, bigger city, and not to mention the weather!).  I feel like I need this word to help me embrace all the new experiences and be ready for new opportunities.

quotation:  

"It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new . . . There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power."  -Alan Cohen

{what this quote means to me:  I don't take this from the perspective that I'm releasing familiar & secure relationships (those I will always cling to and hold dear).  I like this quote more from the thinking that it takes courage to embrace the new.  Courage is admirable quality and it's one I want to have.  Life is always changing/moving/evolving and I like how this quote reminds me that a full life (adventure, exciting posibilities) can be found in movement.  I don't want to be moving all the time (I like being settled), but I need to remember that this can be an exciting, exhilirating adventure and to appreciate it for the memories, bonding, and growth that it will bring to our family.  Finally, "in change there is power."  This change allows me the power to decide who I want to be going forward and how I'm going to present myself in this new life.  I also have the power to choose my attitude.}

with this word I invite:  

new beginnings
adventure
growth
possibilities
openness
discovery
love & connection

I'm looking forward to spending 2012 with this one little word.

one little word 2011

I have chosen . . . . 

my one little word for 2011.  Nurture.  With a goal to nurture relationships with my family, friends, and my Heavenly Father.  Funny thing, I had already chosen this word back in December when I got a fortune with my chinese food that read: "This year your highest priority will be your family."  I still have that fortune and it is sitting right in front of me.

I have been inspired by . . . 

talented people and their projects, ideas, and goals.  I've started a mini blog here to "re-blog" or bookmark some of these inspirations for future reference.

i have realized . . . 

I am content.  I can enjoy the smells, dreamy smiles, and softness of someone else's baby without stirring up desires for "just one more."  Today I got to hold Sheila's little boy Nolan as he nuzzled into my shoulder and arms for a 2 hour nap.  Ahh, . . .

I have nodded in agreement . . . .

with this e-mail forwarded to me by a friend not too long ago. 

"I just finished taking an evening class at Stanford. The last lecture was on the mind-body connection-the relationship between stress and disease. The speaker (head of psychiatry at Stanford) said, among other  things, that one of the best things that a man could do for his health is to be married to a woman whereas for a woman, one of the best things she could do for her health was to nurture her relationships with her girlfriends. At first everyone laughed, but he was serious. 

          Women connect with each other differently and provide support systems that help each other to deal with stress and difficult life experiences. Physically this quality “girlfriend time" helps us to create more serotonin-a neurotransmitter that helps combat depression and can create a general feeling of well being. Women share feelings whereas men often form relationships around activities. They rarely sit down with a buddy and talk about how they feel about certain things or how their personal lives are going. Jobs? Yes. Sports? Yes. Cars? Yes. Fishing, hunting, golf? Yes. But their feelings?-rarely. Women do it all of the time. We share from our souls with our sisters/mothers, and evidently that is very good for our health. He said that spending time with a friend is just as important to our general health as jogging or working out at a gym. 

         There's a tendency to think that when we are "exercising" we are doing something good for our bodies, but when we are hanging out with friends, we are wasting our time and should be more productively engaged--not true. In fact, he said that failure to create and maintain quality personal relationships with other humans is as dangerous to our physical health as smoking! So every time you hang out to schmooze with a gal pal, just pat yourself on the back and congratulate yourself for doing something good for your health! We are indeed very, very lucky. Sooooo let's toast to our friendship with our girlfriends. Evidently it's very good for our health.

I have a craving for . . .

Izze.  Cold, sweet, and not too sugary.  I'm tempted to buy a case or two on Amazon (a whole lot cheaper than in the grocery store + free shipping).  I enjoy Sobe Lifewater as well, but for the life of me I cannot open the stinkin' bottles!  (Just call me jell-o arms).  When Scott is out of town I'm toast.