One Word

The first month of 2013 is over halfway completed and I am just finally getting my thoughts together.   Better now than never, I say.  I started January like many other people, thinking about what I wanted out of the new year for my family and also personally. I saw many people talking about resolutions and I also saw several posts about something called One Word. One Word is basically setting the list of resolutions aside and finding one word that you want to focus on that year.

Ali Edwards has a class she teaches with this concept. This is how she describes One Word:

"Can you identify a single word that sums up what you want for yourself in 2013?
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."

I wasn't really headed in the direction of resolutions this year. I often will think about the last year and think forward a little, but I've never been one to do a huge list of resolutions or make a big deal about it. For some reason though this concept stuck with me and I just couldn't get past it. I didn't have a word come immediately to mind so for a couple of days I just kind of tossed thoughts through my mind of what my one word would be. Then one morning I was reading through a devotional that I follow, and the author had posted on this concept again. Here it was in front of my face again. It just seemed to be everywhere. So I began to think and pray about whether there was one thing that I need to focus on this year. One area I needed to grow in, learn about myself or work towards. I was actually in the grocery store when my word hit. Connect. I knew immediately that this is what I'm missing. Not sure how it just came up in the grocery store, but when it did I knew this is what I'm supposed to focus on. 3 moves in 3 years, pain issues and several other things too long to go into have caused me to retreat in ways that make me not a person I recognize. I can look at that and see that the pulling back is not healthy for me, my family, my relationship with God or my relationship with others I love.  I am missing connection and this year I am going to work on changing that. 

I plan to scrap my journey and see just how I do that this year. This will be different for me as I don't tend to scrap about myself or my emotions very much, but this will be good. I've even started with my first layout and it wasn't so bad!

There it is, my one word.  I added the two hearts overlapping to symbolize the need to connect.  I chose to make a little pocket for my journaling since it has some more personal thoughts and reflections in it. I also list the areas I feel I need the most connection in and how I plan to do that.

I ended up having way more to say than I thought I would so there are several cards of journaling that I have tucked away in my little folder. I used two brads and wrapped some twine around them so that the folder can be easily opened and closed to access the journaling.

Here is a closer shot of the two hearts. I wanted to add some dimension to the page so I layered the first heart and lifted the flaps up a little. I pop-dotted the center of the second heart. It gave the page a little more added visual interest. I love the Echo Park Everyday Eclectic line I used here for the bright colors.  To me connect also means adding some spark to my life and what way to better represent that than the bright colors against the darker Lily Bee chevron pattern and the Gray Color Coredinations cardstock used as the base.  

So here is to 2013. January may be more than halfway over, but there is a lot of year left and I intend to make the best of it!

Are any of you participating in One Word this year? I would love for you to share your one word in the comments below. If you've made a layout feel free to link it up. I'd love to see what you created!

Have a super Saturday.
Lisa