My One Word for 2015

This year my One Word was DEEPER.

It really hit me hard. Without telling any long stories, I've gained a Deeper understanding and acceptance of myself, a Deeper relationship with my husband, a Deeper connection with my close friends, and a Deeper love for God. It has been messy sometimes, and uncomfortable at other times, but in the end, I'm glad for the struggles, because they allowed me to dive Deep and discover more about myself, God, others, and our world.

This year I've come to accept that:

~ God is mysterious, and cannot be contained merely in the pages of a book or the walls of a building. He is Deeper than that. He works in relationship.

~ The Spirit speaks in beautiful, quiet ways to the Deep places of our hearts, if we can only be silent enough to hear it.

~ I am an individual with talents, failings, and personality quirks just like everyone else, and I don't need to apologize for being myself. Everyone is Deeply Themselves, both positive and negative, but we should focus on loving each other in order to help everyone become the best they can be.

~ In order to develop/maintain Deep relationships with those you are closest to in life, you need to Deeply pursue them, both in connection and in seeking to understand them better.

~ Just because you go Deeply into something does not mean that you will always find it is more complex. Sometimes the Deepest things are simple.

Thank you, Deeper, for everything you have taught me in 2014.

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My new Word for 2015 will be HONOR.

At first, I thought that I should choose a different word, like Observe or Respect, because those have aspects of what I am hoping the year will hold. Plus I was a bit nervous that Honor would be too much, too weird, or too abstract. But in the end, three things brought me back to Honor as my Word.

~ All the different definitions of Honor, both as a verb and a noun: regarding with great respect, holding in high esteem, "a belief that your actions represent more than just yourself" (thank you Urban Dictionary), recognizing a significant part of someone's dignity or value. 

~ This word made me tingle with excitement. Part of Susannah Conway's excellent five day course in discovering your Word said that you should choose something that gave you a shiver of anticipation.  Honor certainly does! It seems beautiful yet challenging.

~ My mom created the most beautiful piece of art for me as my Christmas gift, out of a broken piece of pallet wood, and it brought me back to one of the most important messages that our world needs: doing good, Honoring each other, Honoring the earth. We hung it in our living room where I'll be able to see it every day.

 

I want to find ways to Honor others and the world around us: my family, my friends, strangers, nature, the seasons, myself, my students, the calendar of change, and most importantly, God. All the positive that is present and potential deserves Honor, so that's what I hope to find in this new year. Along the way, I know that I will be taught lessons of life, just like every other year, and will grow and change through the experience, even if it is difficult or bumpy.

Welcome, Honor, for everything you are going to teach me in 2015.