One Little Word for 2012...

Source

THRIVE

: to grow vigorously : flourish

: to gain in wealth or possessions : prosper

: to progress toward or realize a goal despite or because of circumstances —often used with on


My initial thought was to choose the word "purpose" as my One Little Word for 2012, but after thinking about it for a couple of days I've decided that "THRIVE" is what I'm really after.  

Even though I have my One Little Word to think about, I also like to find quotes and ideas to support that theme and help to keep the word in focus.

To really "thrive" I'll have to put the work into it.  And steadiness.  And organization.  And non-procrastination.  And a positive attitude.  And basically working at being the best that I can be. 

"A garden requires patient labor and attention. Plants do not grow merely to satisfy ambitions or to fulfill good intentions. They thrive because someone expended effort on them."
Liberty Hyde Bailey

My word is just that:  Mine.  I'm going to be selfish with it.  I'm not going to force it on the rest of my family, but I'm hoping they will get some residual benefit and maybe even an afterglow from being near me while I'm working on myself.  :)  I'm gong to keep this word in the back of my mind for now and write down any ideas that come into my thoughts. 

 "Do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of." - Benjamin Franklin

I'm going to Make 2012 a GREAT YEAR!
 
If you're looking for One Little Word to focus on or use as your "mantra" for this year, here is a huge list.  Do it.  It's painless.  I promise.  And you might just love it.


 

Learning and Growing (or should I say, Shrinking)...

It's been a couple of weeks since I've spent any amount of time on the computer that didn't include finding a recipe or typing something up quickly for a project, but here I am now.  I'm not sure that I was missed, but I miss being on here in the peace and quiet after everyone is in bed and I can focus my brain for a few minutes.

I hope everyone had an amazing Christmas and an awesome New Year's celebration.  I know we had both; spending time with family and friends re-energizes me.  

Since it is Monday we had Family Home Evening tonight.  The lesson was on goal-making.  I've been pretty lax with it these last few years; it seems that life is getting in the way of me reaching my goals.  (I've go to put the blame on something!)  So we talked about personal goals and family goals, and I wanted each of us to write down at least three goals to work on.  This week we'll all be working on putting a plan together to help us focus on and work toward our goals.  We also talked about being accountable to each other and supporting one another.  I hope a little bit sank in!

I'm excited to work on my goals and resolutions, and I'm determined not to let myself get scared off or overwhelmed by them.  One thing that helped put things in perspective was an article in the January Ensign magazine by Elder D. Todd Christofferson called Recognizing God's Hand in our Daily Blessings.

Here are just a couple lines that I'm taking to heart:

“As we reflect on the value of resolving to do better, let us determine to discipline ourselves to carefully select the resolutions we make, to consider the purpose for making them, and finally to make commitments for keeping them and not letting any obstacle stop us. Let us remind ourselves at the beginning of each day that we can keep a resolution just for that day."
President N. Eldon Tanner (1898–1982), First Counselor in the First Presidency

 

Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles recently taught that consistency in simple daily practices such as family prayer, scripture study, and home evening is crucial in building successful families. “Our consistency in doing seemingly small things,” he said, “can lead to significant spiritual results.”

President Ezra Taft Benson (1899–1994), speaking of repentance, gave this counsel: “We must be careful, as we seek to become more and more [Christlike], that we do not become discouraged and lose hope. Becoming Christlike is a lifetime pursuit and very often involves growth and change that is slow, almost imperceptible.”

So here's to change!  One of the first goals I am working on is to improve my health, my weight, and my eating.  I've been steadily putting on weight this last year and a half, and I'm ready to fit into (and look good in!) my clothes again, and to be able to wear my wedding ring, too.  I'm joining the 6 Week Frugal Weight Loss Challenge at Stockpilingmoms.com.

My goal is to lose at least 10 pounds in that six weeks' time.  I'm giving up my lovely Diet Cokes, having a water-drinking goal, eating smaller portions, and walking at least 30 minutes/day 5 days/week.  And if I keep telling myself that I can do it just for that day, I think it will make all the difference in the world.