The new school year started with a day of teacher
in-service. A guest motivational speaker included in his message the concept of
choosing a specific “word for the year.” His thinking was simple enough. If we
could choose a word that represents an area of our life that we would like to
improve, and if we focused on that word on a daily basis, the word would become
part of our lives. It would seep into our existence and change us. He
challenged us to choose a word and commit to allowing it to impact our lives.
As a teacher, words like patience, relationships, serve, or optimism might have
been good words for me, for instance.
The language arts department at my school, of
which I’m a member, decided to challenge our students to choose a word for the
year, and the activity worked well. I’ve decided to challenge you too. Let me
give you some examples first. Maybe your word could be goal or dream. Are you
good at setting goals and plotting out a plan for success? Is there something
you’d like to accomplish, but you just can’t seem to push yourself to do it?
Maybe if you chose goal or dream as your word and meditated on it
each day, you’d be able to accomplish something meaningful in your life.
Maybe your word could be moment. Do you find it difficult to not dwell on the past or worry
about the future? Is it possible that if you try to focus on the moment—the
only time you actually have some control over—that you might be more
productive, happier, more content, or healthier?
Maybe your word could be grow. Maybe you could strive daily to learn from your experiences.
Maybe you could try to see the good in things or try to use your circumstances
as an opportunity to help others. We should learn from our mistakes and see the
good that may come from our trials. Maybe if we looked at things as life
lessons, we could be more content with our lives.
Maybe your word could be give or help. How much
better would the world be if we were able to put ourselves second and think
about others first? What if we decided to be a servant and actually look for
opportunities to give of ourselves—our time…our resources…our love? Isn’t it
possible that we could have an impact on others? Isn’t it possible that our
impact on others would make our own lives more fulfilling?
Maybe your word could be positive or optimistic. What
a change this word could make. If we could show more optimism, I think we’d have
less stress in our lives. I think we’d be more at peace, and we’d sleep better
at night. I think we’d find good things to cheer us and say good things to
cheer others. I think we’d like more people and be better liked. We’d be a
better friend, we’d feel better, and getting up in the morning would be easier.
We’d react better to the troubles in our lives and we’d be happier.
What if our word was smile? Do you think that maybe we’d get more smiles in return? Do
you think that maybe we’d be more relaxed, more joyful, and more likable? Do
you think we’d make better first impressions and be better counselors? Do you
think we might notice the beauty in things and see the good in others if we
smiled more?
Maybe your word, like mine, could be prayer. I considered so many words, but
in the end, I realized that for this year I might be able to accomplish more if
I just took a minute to settle myself and consider what is important. I can
pray for help to be more joyful and smile more. I can pray to be more
optimistic and less stressed. I can pray for opportunities to help and serve
others. I can pray to grow from my experiences and learn from them and be more
content. I can pray to live in the moment and stop rehashing the past or
worrying about the future. I can pray for help in achieving certain goals or
accomplishing my dreams. I figured that maybe if I took a moment to stop myself
each morning, I might have more peace and joy and love in my life. I might
remember to be thankful for all the blessings I have, and I might be able to
step out of my own selfish world and consider how as a teacher, I can have a
positive impact on the lives of other people.
So what will be your word for the year? What do
you need to do better? How can you improve yourself and have a better year? I
challenge you to pick a word for the year and consider it daily. Take note of
the changes, benefits, and impact the word is having on your life. I think it’s
a challenge worth taking. Maybe you can share your word as a comment…and maybe
you can share your word and a similar challenge to others in your life. You
know, everyone wants to change…just very few are willing to take the steps
necessary to actually create the change. That is my challenge to you. Pick a
word, and tomorrow, begin making the changes.
