Choosing a word of the year in 2014 was so significant to me that I now plan to consistently make time to choose a word each year.
Today I am sharing that my chosen word for 2015 is Thrive.
After writing the post about What I am Becoming, I felt drawn to the word Thrive. As I look back at the past few years of my life 2013 was a year that knocked me down, 2014 was a year of saying Hello to new opportunities and now as I begin 2015 I find myself in a place where I feel emotionally strong, physically healthy and in a place where I have the ability to affect the direction of my life.
Merriam Webster has three definitions of Thrive and has these examples:
to grow or develop successfully : to flourish or succeed
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to grow vigorously / flourish
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to gain in wealth or possessions / prosper
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to progress toward or realize a goal despite or because of circumstances
I will be honest that being where I am in my life is scary. The life of a part-time college instructor is not glamorous or going to make me wealthy, and establishing a private practice takes time, energy and patience. There have been moments when I have thought to myself
“I should get just a job.” . However, getting “just a job” would leave me walking away from a dream of establishing myself as a private clinician and trainer. Finding “just a job” would pay bills and provide stability but it could also lead me to a world where I may not be able to truly live my passion. Not living one’s passion can quickly lead to unhappiness in all areas of life.
So 2015, my focus will be to Thrive during the next 12 months. I hope to continue to improve my health via exercise and improved nutrition. Most importantly, I hope to take the opportunities I have been given and establish myself beyond the grief counselor I have been for most of my career.
As I make decisions I ask myself if the decision I am making will help me to thrive or to stay stagnant. Over analysis and fear can easily lead to paralysis and that is something I want to overcome.
When looking for a quote on Thriving, the below quote was the first quote that appeared. I knew immediately that I needed to look no further as Maya Angelou has summed up what I truly wish for this year and life.
I know that the year ahead will have moments that may be difficult but I am also excited for what may be! Stick around for the journey.
I’m linking up today (and plan to each month) with The Nectar Collective’s Weekly Wishes and A Grateful Heart Monday with Ember Gray. I’m so grateful to be in the place where I am at in my life.
Do you choose a word of the year? How do you plan to thrive in 2015?
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I love the word thrive and that you chose it for this year. And I especially like what you say about making intentional decisions of whether you will either thrive or stay stagnant. I did not choose a word for this year but I hope to look for new opportunities to grow and be open to change. Thanks for sharing!
Laura Jean, thank you for stopping by. It sounds like to grow is your intention for the year and it reminds me where I was last year. I can’t wait to see what the year holds for you!
Thrive is an awesome word! And such a wonderful goal. I wish you loads of luck and success with 2015 – it can’t be easy trying to establish a practice, but what a fantastic aim! I love that you’re pursuing your passions so steadfastly – I definitely pursued ‘just a job’ early on when it was difficult to go in another direction. It paid well and I had a successful career in it for years…I just never loved it. It was just a job. So I ended up quitting and am a stay at home mom now, trying to figure out what next steps will be. If I’d pursued my passions back then no doubt I’d be established in the ‘right’ career by now! Stay true to your dreams! 🙂
I have no doubt you will find what your “Passion” is. Don’t regret your past, there’s a lesson in it and the important issue is you are now at home and have the opportunity to have a new beginning. It’s never too late to live your dreams! Thanks for stopping by, grateful for your comments.
I just love your word! That quote by Maya Angelou is excellent! Your last year proved that having a word of the year helps get stuff done so I’m excited for you to see what all “thrive” brings for you this year! 🙂
Thanks Sarah. I just knew that quote was perfect the moment I found it and I didn’t look any further. There’s anxiety and excitement with the new word. So glad to have you along for the journey!
I’m so glad I joined the Weekly Wishes linkup this week and found this post. Literally everything you said resonated with me as something I needed to hear today. As far as the word of the year, I haven’t landed on a specific word, but I’m focusing on action and doing now as opposed to waiting for the right moment. (Word suggestions welcome.)
Thank you for this great post- I hope you have a year that is full of thriving! 🙂
Ashley, thank you so much! Each year my word has always just come to me. I think the fact that you are focusing upon action says a lot. What about Do, or Move or Right Now. It certainly needs to be an action word. Please do let me know what you decide upon. So glad we connected.
Thanks, Sheryl! I’m going with Create. Everything I need to take action on is creative-based and I’m trying to focus on just doing instead of getting in my own head. Thank you so much for your help- looking forward to reading more of your posts! 🙂
I love, love, LOVE learning more about why people chose the words they did. I started this for the first time in 2014 and kept a journal for the year… what I was learning about the word I’d chosen and certain things going on where I felt like I was putting my word to good use 😉 It was awesome to read back over that journal at the end of the year. I’m excited for you in 2015, Sheryl!
Thanks Emily. It is truly interesting how a word of the year can change your perspective about things and what you do in situations.
“Thrive” is a GREAT word choice! Thanks for linking up to Two For Tuesdays!
Oh I love your word Sheryl!! And I love the idea of asking yourself if your decisions are going to help you thrive or become stagnant, um, totally taking this on for my year too!