Purpose #OLW

Purpose: My One Little Word 2019

My one little word for 2019 is Purpose.  My graphic was created in response to the process I used to have my one little word find me.

It’s that time of year when everyone talks about their resolutions for the new year.  For me, it’s time to pick my one little word that will guide my thinking and doing for the year.  This will be the third year that I have chosen a “little word.”  Last year my word was Pause and in 2017 I focused on Joy.

In previous years I let my word percolate for a few weeks mostly by thinking about what was happening in my life at that time and hoping the word would guide me in the days and months ahead.  This year however I stumbled across an online site offering daily emails to walk me through a reflective process to let a word choose me. I registered for the free emails and began my journey.

One of the first activities was to reflect on experiences of last year in hopes that a word or phrase might rise up.  It was then that my mind returned to my mission trip to Haiti.  I noted the strong sense of purpose I felt on that trip, something I had not felt since becoming a widow five years earlier.  Purpose. It had a nice ring to it.

My daily email activities continued with suggested activities such as taking a contemplative walk,  consulting with a friend, and paying attention to my dreams, all in hopes that my word would speak to me through this process.  It was only after I had a vivid dream of driving around bumping into things as if I had no control of the car that I confirmed that my word, purpose, had indeed chosen me.

Purpose

My word brings out two questions that will be guiding me throughout 2019:

What is my life purpose?  This question will be important as I move towards my 60th birthday in February and consider plans for what my retirement might look like in a few short years.

What is the purpose for doing this?  I tend to make decisions based on what I’ve done in the past without considering the underlying reason. My hope is that this question will guide me to make decisions that keep my priorities in place and not simply doing things because it’s what I have done in the past.

My new word has found me and I am excited for this word to guide 2019.

Happy New Year!

 

 

I am grateful for the community of writers over at Two Writing Teachers.  Each Tuesday I join in with teacher writers in sharing my slice of life story with this wonderful community.  Consider joining in.