When I started writing this post, the coming year looked promising and plump. And then I had a very bad day …
I started writing this blog a few weeks ago. The original version was full of hope and promise and two whole paragraphs on living your life with intention and purpose. Since then, however, my optimistic, half-full, warrior attitude took a pitiful turn toward me being a failure and thinking I’ll never be where I want to be.
That’s not the inspiring post I was shooting for.
Donuts my daughter got me to cheer me up on my bad day.
All that hope and intentional life stuff loses some of its steam in the face of books being returned and feeling like I’m no different from the thousands of other wannabes who are having a hard time rising above the fold. My circumstances got to me. That hope I wrote so emphatically about earlier got watered down by the cold, hard facts (and numbers) of my writing career.
And that brings me back to my word for the year. The whole point of this activity was to put something out there as a reminder—a frame. The Word of the Year should point you toward where you want to go, not where you can’t be.
I thought about just forgetting the whole word thing, but then I wouldn’t have a blog to post, and that would start the domino effect of failure, and despite the fact that I don’t feel so optimistic about my writing career, I will press on. Besides, isn’t part of the point of having a word for the year to give yourself a reminder that no matter what your current circumstances are, you should keep moving forward?
So here goes. I’ve landed on a word that doesn’t really feel like me, and I wonder if it will ever really apply to how I approach life, but it’s something I want to be … it’s something that kind of scares me, and it’s something that I am not so sure how to achieve, but here goes—my word for 2016 is WARRIOR because though I stumble and tire, I don’t want to give up the fight.
How about you? What will your word of 2016 be?
My word would be succeeder.
Can’t wait to hear about all the ways you succeed in 2016! Miss you!
My word for 2016 is TRUST.
Mary Beth, you are one of my favorite bloggers. You are so humble and honest. Your heart really shines through your caring words. I hope I can make it to Blue Ridge this year so we can sit at the same table sometime and catch up.
Great word! And I like how you put it in all CAPS. Thanks for being a part of my journey. That first “last” lunch at Blue Ridge encouraged me bunches. It would be great to catch up on that’s been going on with you. Not sure if I’ll make it to Blue Ridge this year, but I’ll let you know if I do.
Mary Beth ..love this blog and I love your writing …always feel like you are speaking directly to me.Pondered all night what my one word could be to describe what I want for me this year……after much thought…I …like you picked a word that has never been me but would love to try and incorporate into all corners of my life .My word for 2016 is MOTIVATED …..just writing it scares me that I won’t succeed.But I am going to try one step at a time ….
You can do it! (My word scares me too.)
My word this year is BOLDNESS, meaning I don’t fear anything Jesus would not fear, and I love and forgive deeply from the heart even when my flesh is hurting. I just finished a book by Ted Dekker called Outlaw, and the timing was perfect for me to read it. I had already chosen my word and the book confirmed it in a different way. Yes, when God calls you to be a warrior, the arrows will start flying your way. This blog is a perfect example of how you pick up your shield of faith and say, “NO, I… Read more »
Yay God! Thanks for sharing a little bit about the start of your BOLDNESS journey! And I love hearing about how good fiction confirms and inspires real life stuff. Ted Dekker’s done that for me a time or two, as well. I hope you will stay in touch as you walk your writing road. Peace!
[…] get me wrong, I’m not rethinking my word for the year. I’m just becoming grossly aware of how much work this is going to take. […]
[…] I made Warrior my word for the year, I’ve been trying to think differently and try new things. That’s not so […]