One Little Word 2015

As think about the year ahead of us, many people like to make New Year's resolutions. Full disclosure: I've never been one for New Year's resolutions. They're just a way to disappoint yourself and for places like gyms and sporting goods stores to feed on our lofty goals and make money. Still, I do like the idea and symbolism of a new year being about new beginnings. So I've been thinking a lot lately about  how I can improve myself without setting unrealistic goals that I will never fulfill.

As a result, Ruth Ayres got me thinking about the One Little Word challenge and that has been swimming around in my head lately. The idea behind the One Little Word Challenge is to pick a word and live with it for an entire year.

The word I have chosen for 2015 has actually been a word we've all been living with in this classroom since September, but I feel the need to make a formal declaration and continue living with it for another 12 months.

Ali Edwards first presented this idea in 2006 and has since created ripples all over the world.


As you think about a possible word you would like to live with for the next year, here are some possibilities:
play
peace
vitality
nurture
story
light
up
open
thrive
grace
give
genuine
delight
connect
shine
leap
unhurried
cherish
focus
ask
embrace
gratitude
acceptance
engage
courage
welcome
onward
lighten
grow
presence
compassion
simplify
patience
joy
inspire
accept

Here are some examples of students in teacher Cathy Fiebelkorn's class and their One Little Word:

What do you do with this One Little Word? As Ali Edwards says:
You live with it
You invite it into your life
You let it speak to you
You might even follow it where it leads