Words Are Fuel For Purposeful Action
Do you have a word to focus on this year?
Your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions. -Gandhi
Word of the Year
Having a word of the year is an idea that came to me a few years ago from my grandmother. All you have to do is select a meaningful word that can lead to more purposeful thoughts and actions around the topic.
Words have different meanings to everyone. Focusing on a word of the year serves as a means to analyze the multi-dimensions of the word as a concept and to view the world with a new focus, through the lens of your word. It is interesting to see how this simple practice shapes our thinking and our interactions.
Words for 2021
My grandmother and I have discussed her words of the year for the past few years. This year, her word is courage. I explored her word through writing. It wasn’t a word I thought a lot about before.
In our conversation, she was surprised to hear that I felt like she showed a lot of courage. I explained my perspective. I think it took courage to move forward in a healthy way after the loss of her husband of over 60 years. She thought it was faith that led her through her grief and that she would need courage for her next steps.
My words for 2021 were lifted from a re-reading of The Four Agreements by, Miguel Ruiz. I selected four words and wrote a poem: Uplift, Service, Focus, and Productive. I used them to focus my efforts while working from home during the pandemic. I don’t think I will choose more than one word next year. I was not as focused as I would like to have been. I have gotten through some tough work situations with perspectives shaped by my analysis of my words. At other times I have lost sight of them.
Assessment and a Shift
We are more than halfway through 2021. My four words have served me well at times.
If you haven’t yet noticed through my writing, another word has inadvertently taken over. My new word is awe.
I have read about awe, attended virtual conferences focused on awe, written about awe, experienced tons of it, and created a publication For Awe.
My word, awe, in concept and action, is taking over my life —I am grateful! My mind is swirling with awe and ideas about awe. Can one overdose on awe?
I hope not because there have been a lot of stories added to Medium under the Awe tag in the past few months. At the end of May, there were 158 stories and 129 writers. Now, in the middle of July, there are 286 stories and 159 writers.
New Word For 2021
I am glad to accept awe as my new word for the remainder of 2021. The more I learn about the benefits of awe, I can’t help but share with others in hopes that awe practices can impact them as much as it has me.
I will continue learning, writing, and reading the awe experiences of others. Here are two stories that highlight the healing power of awe from Laura Silverstein, LCSW and Jaylee Reign.
Thanks for reading! I hope everyone finds power in their words, purpose in their actions, and feelings for healing as needed.
Thank you to Diana C. for the space for today’s guest prompt from Bingz Huang: “If you’ve chosen to focus on a particular word for the year 2021, what are your experiences and insights from embodying and reflecting on this word for the past half year?”