New Years Archives - Yearning to Create

My “Word” for 2013

It’s New Years Day!!! Time for me to craft my “word” for the year onto a block of wood that will sit beside my bed.

You can read more about what this means in last years entry (find it here).

It took me longer this year than it ever has before to choose my word. Usually they just jump into my mind, weeks before New Years. But this year, I even had to ask my FB friends for suggestions, and here’s what I got:

Rest, Joy, Love, Peace, Fun, Bacon, Stand, Create, Faith, Trust, Cleave, Cherish, Chocolate, Quest, Discernment and Laugh (hmm . . . this one’s from my daughter!)

Lots of great ideas! I was leaning towards the words Cherish, Love and Treasure (although Bacon and Chocolate ranked right up there too). But I also need to have Fun and Laugh more too! So when I found this word this very morning, it was like a lightbulb going off in my head!!!

So without further delay, my “word” for 2013 is . . .

. . . Savor! (or “savour” depending on your spelling preference!)

The verb means “to appreciate fully; enjoy or relish”, and this could apply to anything – like each day, or people, or events, or life. So to me it basically means to find joy in everything and love and cherish everything.

The noun refers more to flavour, like in the scripture Matthew 5:13 “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.”

When I chose “savor” I was thinking more of the verb, but I love how the noun ties into the bacon and chocolate words, which are indeed some of my favourite things! And I think that when I’m eating a Lindor chocolate, I’m experiencing both the verb and the noun!

I included this quote by John Wooden on my block because I think it’s a good reminder. Whatever happened yesterday, today is a new day – make it a masterpiece; savor it all.

And to remember my past words (yes, I’m still working on them!) . . .

2010 – Patience

2011 – Delight

2013 – Courage

2013 – Savor

One other thing that I especially like about the word “savor” is that it looks a lot like the word “Savior”. When I glance at my block, it not only reminds me to savor everything and everyone each day, but also to appreciate fully, enjoy or relish my Savior, and all He has done for me.

My “Word” for 2012

A few years ago I started choosing a “word” for the year.

Making New Year’s resolutions is a wonderful idea, but I found that I was never able to stick with them – probably because we’re still on holidays when the new year begins, and who wants to start exercising or dieting or whatever, when it’s still holidays? Not me.

So choosing a word to live by for the year seems to work for me.

After some thought, but not too much (the words just seem to pop into my head!), I decided that my word for 2012 would be . . .

. . . Courage!

When my daughter saw me making my word block, she commented that courage was a good word for 2012 – you know, for if the world ends!!!

Anyway, the scripture I chose is found in Joshua 1:9

“Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed; for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.”

I chose “courage” for a few reasons, but I wasn’t really sure how to put it into words. And some were private and personal reasons that I just wasn’t ready to share on my blog! Anyway, last night I opened up the January Ensign and read the First Presidency Message. And WOW!!! President Monson summed up for me exactly why I choose “courage”.

Let me share a little (or you can read the whole short article by following the link above).

“Ralph Waldo Emerson said: ‘Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide on, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them.’

Courage is required to make an initial thrust toward one’s coveted goal, but even greater courage is called for when one stumbles and must make a second effort to achieve.

Have the determination to make the effort, the single-mindedness to work toward a worthy goal, and the courage not only to face the challenges that inevitably come but also to make a second effort, should such be required. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says, “I’ll try again tomorrow.”

And that’s why I chose “Courage”!

Ready for a quick recap of my other words? This is the third year I’ve chosen a word at New Years.

2011 had the word . . .

. . . Delight!

“Let thy soul delight . . .” (Doctrine & Covenants 25:14)

And in 2010, my word was . . .

. . . Patience!

“Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten His people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith.”

(Mosiah 23:21)

My little word block sits beside my bed as a constant reminder to me of my current and past words (yes, those past words still need work!!!)

I used browns and teal this year to match my king size bedding!

Notice that book under my scriptures? That is the first word I ever chose . . .

. . . SIMPLIFY . . .

and it will always be my word. My mom gave me this book a few years back and it sits by my bed because I refer to it often. I have this word (Simplify) hanging in a few other spots in my house too.

simplify – a guide to caring for the soul

A Word for the year really works for me!

What’s your Word this year?

My Words

I read about this idea somewhere just before New Years 2010. The idea is to choose a word for the year and let that be your theme word and your motivation. I loved the idea – so much more likely to succeed than New Year’s Resolutions!

So my word for 2010 was . . .

. . . PATIENCE. And yes, I’m still working on it and probably always will be!!! I need reminders, so I decorated this little wooden block with my word, the year, and a scripture. It sits with Mason on my bedside table, reminding me every day of the year about PATIENCE.

My word for 2011 is . . .

. . . DELIGHT. The scripture says “Let thy soul delight . . .” and that’s exactly what I’ve been trying to do this year. I’m finding it quite DELIGHTful as I look more for the positive in things and what causes me DELIGHT in this journey through life.

My word is just printed off the computer and then mod podged along with scrapbook paper onto the block. I’ll be able to fit four years worth of words on every block. What a collection I’ll have at the end of my life – by then I should be absolutely perfect at everything!!!