The Power of One Word
It's the second week of January, 2010, New Year's resolutions have been made and some have already been broken and forgotten.
It's natural for all of us to look at the start of a new year as an opportunity to start fresh and accomplish a new goal or improve upon some aspect of our life.
Did you make a New Year's resolution? A friend of mine, Mary Colovich, not only made one but she also had a uinque approach at how she arrived at her "resolution."
Here is her story of how she discovered "the power of one word."
"I tend to be an early riser and in keeping with this pattern, I awoke very early on the first day of this New Year. I quietly slipped into the family room as to not wake my sleeping husband and I decided to work on my 2010 phone calendar. As I sat in the early morning darkness of this new decade, I started in-putting birthdays and known commitments for the upcoming days. As I turned each page I noticed that each month presented a new grid of blank days, for a total of 365 to be exact! It seemed a bit daunting for me to look at all of these white squares knowing that they would pass with me or without me. And then it hit me…I got it!
I realized that really, that’s what life is all about. It’s about having a bunch of blank days to fill however I choose. I can choose to fill them with happiness or sadness…with productivity or laziness…how I live the upcoming year is my choice and my choice only. What a great blessing!
So naturally, I began to think of the myriad of well-intentioned resolutions flooding my refreshed and renewed mind, after all, it’s not only a new year, it’s a new DECADE! But quickly my excitement turned to frustration as I reflected on past resolutions that have gone unfinished or ignored and have eventually drifted into that all too common wasteland of forgotten good intentions.
As I thought about this sober reality, it became clear to me that the solution to my yearly dilemma was to be summed up by one word. I wasn’t sure what that one word was but I knew that if I could come up with it, it would encapsulate all of my goals and resolutions and I could pretty well count on success. I gave it a few days. I was thoughtful, soulful and prayerful. This was serious to me and I wanted mine to be perfect. After all, this has to last me the entire year and every thought, deed, decision, and goal has to be partnered with this one word as the main focus.
I finally came up with the perfect one for my needs and goals. My word is SIGNIFICANT. I thought of literally hundreds of other great words that would be totally suitable, but once I made my decision, I knew that it was the one for me. Now it is clear. Before I do anything, I ask myself, “Will this be significant?”
So I have printed it, framed it and placed it in our home where I can see it every day. I know that every relationship or interaction I have must be significant and that all of my goals, ambitions and decisions have significance. It’s simple. I know that my year will be more productive and less overwhelming. The power of that one simple adjective has the ability to change my perspective and the direction of my life.
May you all have a very happy, prosperous and “significant” year!
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