Contentment: Word of the Year

Do you make New Year's resolutions? I don't. I hate failing. I don't like leaving projects undone. So NO. No resolutions for me. I did start a new tradition though, and this is the fourth time I'm going for it. Have you heard of “the word for the year”? I found it through a blog called, “Mama Manifesto”. How I ended up there...I don't remember. You know how it goes, you use a link, find another one, jump from blog to blog checking out bloggers who leave interesting comments, and then all of a sudden you can't see the shore and you forgot your breadcrumbs...

The main idea of the word for the year is that it's a guiding principle or a an idea to focus on as you consider all aspects of your life. I wrote about the first word I chose, for 2010, in the post “A Word to Savor for a Year”. I have several examples there of what I really am trying to say if I'm not making total sense today.

For 2011 I picked “health”. I had whooping cough, and it was taking me such a long time to recover. I ended up with severe asthma. I was on bed rest for many long weeks. I decided that I needed to focus on health, not just healthy body and diet, but healthy thoughts. For example, I'm not worthless just because I can't carry laundry right now. I CAN sit on my bed and fold it. I'm not worthless because Jake thinks my lesson plans for home school are boring. I'm actually attempting to home school – something I swore (which I learned one should not do...) and that's quite brave. Especially while sick. It's healthy to be brave. Are you catching on to how the word guides your thoughts and decisions?

Fast-forward to 2012. I picked “health” again, because, well, I was in the hospital. And to be honest, I hadn't done that great of a job having a healthy attitude about my limitations in 2011. Call it taking the class again...

Now it's time to pick a new word, and I've had a hard time deciding. It's time to go in a new direction, though. I've been focusing on myself, how I feel, how I feel about how I feel. I've frankly been whining and complaining. Wallowing. Whining about wallowing. Seemingly FOREVER. Time for a focus change. The word prednisone will no longer appear in any of my posts.

My word for 2013 is CONTENTMENT. Wherever I am, whether it's stuck in bed again, (please dear God, no...) I need to think content. This is a soft pillow, so cozy. I'm not stuck in carline. No one is vomiting on me.

I've gained weight from nasty meds combined with being sedentary. Hmmm...I guess that's one I'll have to work on some more to be completely content about, but here's one content thought: lots of people pitched in and brought us wonderful meals.

After all, this is a focus for a year, and it's OK if I don't do this right all the time. It's not a resolution. It's an idea, not a gym membership or a vow of 1000 words a day. It's a way of thinking. It's trying to find the positive in whatever situation I may find myself in, and I certainly have no idea where I'll find myself in 2013. I mean – wasn't the world supposed to end last week? I'm content it didn't.