It’s amazing to me to think about the power one little word has. One little word can dash your hopes and dreams or send you on a journey of a lifetime. Selecting one little word to live by throughout the year is a difficult task. I think of Mark Twain, he said ”The difference between the right word and the almost-right word is the difference between the lightning and the lightning-bug.” So I want to get it right, for me.

Last year balance was my word of choice. It helped me to keep my life in balance. So I want to continue that journey of staying in balance but add another dimension to it. I thought of several words, but they didn’t feel right. I read choices made by others last week and envied them that they were ready to start their year with a word firmly in place. I began thinking about the word several weeks ago but nothing spoke to me.

Suddenly a word came to mind, aware. I want to be more aware, more conscious of my world. Hmm, I just might have my word, I thought. I did a word map for aware and immediately I knew I found my word. It embraces aware, but it is more. It is mindful. I want to be mindful of my life. Writing helps me to be mindful of those small details that may pass by unnoticed and forgotten quickly.

Now that I had my word, I went looking for what others have said about mindful. Here are a few quotes that spoke to me:

When you are mindful, you remain in a state of alert attentiveness to the present moment. Instead of judging the things that are going on around you as “good” or “bad”, you simply accept them for what they. By not labeling or judging the events and circumstances taking place around you, you are freed from your normal tendency to react to them.

“When you are mindful, you get to choose how you react to life.”

“Mindfulness has never met a cognition it didn’t like.”

“In mindfulness, acceptance always comes first, change comes after.” 

I will keep these thoughts in my mind as I journey into the new year.

About these ads