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Monday, January 2, 2012

A New Year: One Little Word

"Silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone."  G. B. Stern 


Image from Jumpstart.com
Yesterday I stopped by Enjoy and Embrace Learning to find Mandy's one word resolution:  Change.  I'm not one to make resolutions. Yes, I've thought of improvements I want to make, but I don't usually keep my resolutions.  I am always setting goals for myself and trying to improve, there's lots of room for that, but resolutions are another matter. Yes, I'd like to eat better, exercise more, read more, write more, and make a million other improvements, but resolutions are always far too lofty and before I know it life gets in the way.  Reading Mandy's post, I thought I might be able to handle keeping one word in mind all year.

Since reading Mandy's post, I've stumbled upon more "One Little Word" posts from other blogs I follow:  Maria - Reflection; Katherine - Be; and Laura - Stand (these posts are inspirational and worth a read).  Every time I finished reading a post I thought, "Yes, that's the perfect word."  While each of these words stuck with me, I felt I should really think about the word that would make a difference for me.

I wrestled with what my word would be.  I've decided it is THANK.  I'm very fortunate to have friends and family who do so many things to make me smile each day.  I'm always struck by the kindness and thoughtfulness of others.  Though I thank people in words and action, I'm not always as good as I should be about putting this thanks in writing.  It's hard to find the right words to tell someone how much you appreciate them.

So I'm going to make sure I take the time to THANK family, friends, and students for the ways they make me smile every day.  I'm going to resist the urge to put a number on this "one little word," but instead hope to take time to send a quick note, text, picture, card, message or something to let everyone know how much I appreciate them.  I found a few ideas for getting started at WiseBread:  25 Ways to Say Thanks.

I found this important reminder at bethankful.com:
"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."  John F. Kennedy   











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7 comments:

  1. MandyJanuary 2, 2012 at 7:46 PM

    Welcome to one little word and I think you've made an important choice for yourself and those who will receive your thanks. Enjoy your journey.

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  2. K LirenmanJanuary 2, 2012 at 7:57 PM

    Thanks for posting your word too. I think perhaps I need to write a short blog on my word too. For me my word is CAN . I love how everyone has different words yet each word is inspirational in its own way. Karen @lirenmanlearns

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  3. Laura KomosJanuary 2, 2012 at 8:16 PM

    I am not one for resolutions, either! I always come up with way too much to work on... and end up doing nothing. I think this "one little word" idea is just perfect though. I love your ideas for giving thanks in writing. :)

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  4. amy meyerJanuary 2, 2012 at 8:53 PM

    Great word and an inspiring goal!

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  5. Linda BJanuary 2, 2012 at 10:50 PM

    It sounds like you will be thankful to have chosen this word. What a wonderful goal for the year. I'll see you there too; I think I've finally found my word-posting tomorrow.

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  6. CathyJanuary 4, 2012 at 9:55 PM

    Thanks for your comments, everyone. Let's see if it works.

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  7. Jill FischJanuary 7, 2012 at 9:18 PM

    Great word choice. I almost chose something similar because I want to remember to be appreciative of all the good things in life.

    I ended up choosing "health" for my OLW this year. I have been dealing with several health issues among various family members and it hasn't been easy. So I decided that I really needed to focus on health this year - physical, mental and emotional.

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