My 2015 Word of the Year
Do you choose a word of the year? A word that serves as a guide for your actions?If you do no other intention setting for the year, I highly recommend that you at least pick one word to guide you. It's simple yet powerful.My word for 2015 is presence.I actually declared presence as my word for 2015 back in October at the SimpleREV conference while listening to Dr. Steve Taubman’s presentation about mindfulness. Presence for me encompasses a few things including slowing down, being in the moment and noticing the little things.I’ve already begun to incorporate presence into my days in some obvious and in some less expected ways. Here are a few I’ve done so far:
- I’m checking email less often, choosing to remain present in the other activities I have prioritized for the day and choosing to not fill “empty” time with a device in my hand (and thoughts, ideas and needs coming at me from the content of emails).
- I'm noticing nature’s tiny gifts. As I write this, I’m watching snow fall ever so slightly out my window while two squirrels dig in the snow. It’s quiet and still, yet I’m noticing a continuous flow of tiny activity. (I'm posting Details In My Day over on Instagram if you want to follow along.)
- I have fewer, better pictures in my house. Our home is smaller now which means there is less room for photos but also, I crave open space-empty shelves and walls that allow my eye (and brain) to rest. More open space and fewer, intentionally chosen pictures gives me the opporuntity to notice and enjoy them more.
Simplifying my surroundings has made it possible to be more present. By having less in my environment that takes me away from the present moment, I am able to receive the gift of the here and now.I’d love to hear what your word of the year is and how you are seeing it in your days-send me a note and share!Blessings,LisaIn case you’re curious, my word of the year for 2014 was love and for 2013 was joy (which was right after I came up with the name of my company). I’ll share more about these words and how they shaped my days in future posts.And as another note – one squirrel is still out there digging away through 3 inches of snow and ice…maybe his word of the year is persistence?