A NEW WORD FOR A NEW YEAR

The tradition of choosing a personal Word to Live By has probably been around since Moses was a pup. But it got a new lease on life a few years back (I covered that a couple of years ago so I won't go into it again)--now it's by way of becoming a tradition as firmly established as New Year's Resolutions. I do hope choosing a word won't fall into disrepute, though; resolutions have gotten a bad rep and though people try to refurbish them, dust them down, and call them something else, like Intentions or Goals, they still have a little of the old taint about them.

So, forget Resolutions, Intentions, and Goals. Pick your Word.

Go ahead, pick one. If you don't think it'll work, put it back in the pile and select another one. There are no rules when you're playing this hand. 

Here are some to consider:

LOVE - as in, love God; love your neighbor; love yourself

ACCEPT - think St. Francis--accept the things you cannot change

PEACE - a longing many of us have--peace in the world, peace in our lives, peace in our souls

JOY - where has all the Joy gone? Let's do a treasure hunt and find it. Then we can embrace it and allow it to fill our lives, give it away, spread it around.

BELIEVE - this has come to be a biggie over the past few years--Believe is on every pillow, wall hanging, and tea towel, not to mention tee-shirts, doggie sweaters, and soap. Believe in something bigger than yourself. Also, believe in yourself--and in your family--and in your neighbors--and . . . .

THINK - thinking is a great DIY project to start at the new year--amazing what kind of thing you can make using your imagination and the brain cells you already have on hand.

CREATE - your choice--something physical (like a painting, a poem, a set of shelves), something intangible (like space for new ideas in your life, ways to keep in touch with others during difficult times); something for others, something for yourself

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There you have it--seven words. Feel free to take one, pass them along; or find your own. Mine isn't the only deck to work with.

I'll give the final word to Mother Theresa:

     "Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless."

Blessings for a new year!