Word of the Year for 2020


Oh how I love the start of a new year! 
And even better ... the start of a new decade!

At the end of 
2014, I jumped on the 
"Word of the Year" bandwagon.

I use my word as a focusing tool.
A way to concentrate my efforts for the year.
I've had some great successes ... like 2016 when my word was 
"good health." (yeah, that's two words but it still counts!)  And in 2017 when
I decided to focus on "fitness".  Those were great words that really drove my decision
making.  The craziest word I ever chose ... well, really, I think the word chose me ...
was also the first word I ever chose and it was "uncomfortable."  I chose the word
initially because I wanted to move out of my comfort zone.  I wanted to become
unstuck.  I'll tell you what, chose your word carefully (!!) because 2015 was 
a very uncomfortable year! BUT ... and this is why I say it chose me ... all 
of the things that happened in 2015 would have happened even if I had
chosen a different word.  But because I had chosen to embrace the
uncomfortable that year, my perspective and attitude were 
different ... and I believe it had an impact on how I 
responded to all of the uncomfortable things that
happened! I did consider choosing "drink 
margaritas while floating down the 
river on a floaty" for my word
the following year!! 

Ironically, 
in 2018 I chose 
the word "finish" ... and 
I gave it a tag line too ... "Finish
what I start.  Use what I have." I say
ironically because I don't think I finished anything
that I set out to finish!  ha ha.  Life took a different turn and
the year ended up being completely focused on helping a family 
member finish something important ... I won't tell you who or what 
as that is their story, not mine, but it wound up being the perfect
word ... just completely different to how I saw it playing out.
But that is one of the things I love about choosing a word, 
and about life really, it never quite goes the way we
expect that it will.  But we can choose what we
do with that!  We can choose how we 
respond and how we react.  We 
can choose the lens we 
look at life through.

2019,
last year, 
my word was 
"creativity".  I have
not spent the time I need
to spend to process last year.
I will, but it was such a big year.
A hard year.   Possibly the hardest
year of my life.  A lot of the hard things
that happened took me completely by surprise
and were out of my control.  I found myself seeing 
a psychologist for the first time ever and am thankful for 
the process and outcome of that.

Which brings us to this year, 2020!
I have been thinking about my 
word and really not coming
up with anything at all
that inspired any 
sort of  "aha 
moment"
or 
a sense
of "yeah, that's
the word!" Until
the other day.  I was
in the shower of all places
and the word "dance" popped 
into my head.  I wasn't even thinking
about my word of the year but when 
that word came into my mind, I 
thought ... "that's the one!"


When I 
was looking
through photos
to pick one for this
post, I came across the 
one above.  My daughter 
took it of us on a mother daughter
trip we took earlier in the year.  We 
had experienced a disappointment and 
decided we weren't going to wallow in it so
we booked a sunset cruise.  After dinner, there 
was live music and a dance floor.  The 
music was great but no one was 
dancing! In the end, we 
decided that didn't 
matter and we 
hit the 
dance floor.
We danced and
laughed our heads off.
The whole boat was watching
us but we didn't care. We kept
 dancing. We had the best
time and this photo 
reminds me of 
that time.

I have
no idea what
will come of this
word this year.

One thing I do 
know is that I have
always wished I could
dance! Like, proper dance,
not "make a spectacle of myself
dance" like I did with my daughter
on that boat!  Maybe 2020 will 
be my year to learn.

We shall see.

In thinking
about my word,
I was reminded of 
this song ... it is one of
my favourites.

You probably
know it.

**

by LeAnn Womack


I hope you never lose your sense of wonder,
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger,
May you never take one single breath for granted,
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed,
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

I hope you dance.
I hope you dance.

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance,
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Livin' might mean takin' chances but they're worth takin',
Lovin' might be a mistake but it's worth makin',
Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter,
When you come close to sellin' out reconsider,
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.
I hope you dance. 

I hope you dance.
I hope you dance.

I hope you dance.
(Time is a wheel in constant motion always 
rolling us along,Tell me who wants to look back on 
their years and wonder where those years have gone.)

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.
Dance....

I hope you dance.
I hope you dance.
I hope you dance.
I hope you dance. 
I hope you dance.

(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along,
Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder where those years have gone)

**

Maybe those words will 
be part of the dance of 2020 ... 
Maybe it will be about choosing.
Maybe it will be about something else.
I guess we will just have to see how 
it plays out ...

**

Do you choose a word of the year?  
If so, what have you chosen for this year?
If not, do you do something else?
Resolutions? Goals? 

Do tell!

Happy New Year everyone!

xx




Comments

  1. I've done a verse of the year for a few years now, but last year was my first year picking a word also. My word for last year was intentional and my verses were Isaiah 58:6-14. It was interesting what happened though...I definitely was much more intentional about life, relationships, health last year. The word gave me a focus. The verse ended up being a curve ball though...about halfway through 2019 I realized that it was just a checklist...and another thing that I didn't feel like I was doing well (along with so many other things in life!). So around July I decided I needed to loosen my grip on the verse and just focus on the word. This year, my word and verses came together. I'm excited to see what happens...whether it's how I'm envisioning it going or not!

    My Word is SYMPHONY and I have a song that goes with it too!
    "Symphony"
    (Switch)

    Sometimes it's hard to breathe
    All these thoughts they shout at me
    Try to bring me to my knees
    And it's overwhelming

    Darkness echoes all around
    Feels like everything is crashing down
    Still I know where my hope is found
    And it's only you

    You say you're working everything for my good and
    I believe every word

    'Cause even in the madness
    There is peace
    Drownin' out the voices
    All around me
    Through all of this chaos
    You are writing a symphony
    A symphony

    Tune my heart to your beat
    Let me be your melody
    Even when I cannot see
    But you orchestrate it

    Even when the dark surrounds
    You'll never let me drown
    I know that my hope is found
    In the name of Jesus

    You say you're working everything for my good
    I believe every word

    'Cause even in the madness
    There is peace
    Drownin' out the voices
    All around me
    Through all of this chaos
    You are writing a symphony
    A symphony

    Yo, I wanna truly know
    If you compose beautiful
    Music, though
    From all my unruly notes
    Distance is distant, it's movin' close

    Now I see, erase the scales from my eyes
    Then play the scale of my life
    Chaos played off with a chord in accord
    With a source prevailing through strife and

    I've tasted suffering
    I've been embraced by the painful buffering
    I've been bound by doubts so loud right now
    But a melody is made when you play these rusty keys

    So we all gotta get pressed
    Tuned up like instruments
    But I know
    All of life's tempo is set
    Whenever we remember this

    That even in the madness
    There is peace
    Drownin' out the voices
    All around me
    Through all of this chaos
    You are writing a symphony
    A symphony

    And my verse are Philippians 4:4-9 (MSG)

    Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!

    Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

    Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Love this, Pam. Great word. Make beautiful music this year. Bonnie can dance by your music!

      Delete
    2. I like that Dad! I can dance by her music!

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    3. Pam ... that's so cool that your word and your verse matched up this year! I'm excited to see where the year takes you!

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