My word for 2012 is......

Each year I pray and ask God to bless me with one, single little word that I want to concentrate on and make the focal point for change and growth in my life. In 2011, that word was "transparency". My goal was to become truly and wholly without walls or pretenses and to allow the people in my life to really know me for who I am. I think I was successful in my endevour - it's really freeing when you don't have to "create" who you are. You can just be. I also learned a few things about transparency; there is a time and a place for it. It's ok to be transparent AND discreet. I have learned that not everyone needs to know everything. It's great to have privacy! I don't know if I really embrace that concept here yet though! It's also very empowering to be comfortable in my own skin, to not have to silence my inner being, if you will, for the sake of being deemed normal in someone else's eyes. I am so thankful for this lesson.

That brings me to 2012! This year the word that God has given me seems to be "contentment". I believe that means that I need to learn to be satisfied in my present situation. By satisfied I don't mean that I intend to be complacent in where I am, just that I need to be content in what I have and where I am going. It's a lot harder for me than it sounds. I am typically looking for the next "thing". I am learning to just stop and be in the moment, whether good or bad or hard or happy. I need to learn to be still and to really listen. And to be content with the material things I have. I struggle a lot with that. I like to have new things and gadgets and projects - this year I am learning to be happy with what I have now. I also keep hearing the word "strive", and I think that means that I should be striving for things that I cannot yet accomplish, but I haven't quite figured that all out. I know that this is going to be a great year for sure, whatever it brings, because I am learning contentment..... ~K