Do you choose a word of the year, or have you in the past? It is another great way to have a focus for the year, instead of, or in addition to, making new years resolutions. You can read more about my word from last year here.

If I am totally honest with you, I did not want to pick a word for this year (my word will help to explain this). But sometimes your word finds you, rather than you seeking it out. I have had some words pop in and out of my head here and there over the last couple of weeks but nothing has stuck, and again, I wasn’t planning to pick a word. Truthfully, I have been laying on the couch all day which has even included a nap. The “plan” for today included nothing about getting out my computer and writing, and definitely not about choosing a word of the year. Then, quietly, multiple times throughout the day, a word has been sounding in my head. At this point, it’s loud enough that I am listening and I even felt this nudge to wake up from my nap and process through my thoughts in this blog entry.

So, here it is. My word for the year is GENTLE!

There is a lot of really personal stuff that goes into the behind the scenes of this word that I am choosing not to go into here. I will just say, God knows my journey, my heart and I know He has placed this word on my heart for the year.

Below are a few ways I see this word being played out for me:

• I am choosing a gentler approach to goal setting, putting less pressure on myself to be something I am not, or achieve something that is not meant for me (hence why I didn’t even want to choose a word).  
• I am committing to having a gentler approach to my loved ones.
• I am joining a local yoga studio to get back into my yoga practice which incorporates gentle, but strong movement of my body and more self-love physically.
• I am choosing to be gentler with myself when something doesn’t go the way I expected, or someone lets me down.
• I am striving to know more about God’s gentle approach to us with his compassion and loving kindness and seeking to learn how I can be more like Him in this way.

It has been so helpful to write these thoughts out today. Thanks for reading. The image/quote that is at the top of this blog post, which was shared by a friend on social media, has been on my heart since I saw it last week. It has been part of what has inspired me as I reflect on the way I have approached the new year in the past and how I am doing things differently this year.

So, do you have a word of the year? I would love to hear about it.