In 2013, I chose Joy.
In 2014, I lived out Quality.
In 2015, my one word was Pursuit.
In 2016, I chose Present but the word Provision chose me (perhaps more on that later..).
In 2017, I will live out Peace.
I believe choosing one word each year has such power over our days ahead. It's an anchor for the way we can live out our days, months & year. It allows our yearly goals to be measured while also allowing for that freedom to grow within that particular time.
It's always such a surprise to look back on my year & note that - yes - that word lived & breathed through me. Perhaps it's lived out in bigger ways some years than others, but there's always a mark of that chosen word - small as it may be - on my time.
Over & over again, the word Peace kept coming to me as my intention for 2017. Perhaps it's the unrest we feel as a community at large or the conflict I've felt in my own personal life. Whatever the reason may be, I am choosing Peace in 2017 & I pray it has a profound impact on my heart & year.
By peace, I don't mean avoiding the noise or quieting my voice (although at times, that might just be what's needed).
I had an amazing conversation with a customer in Tulsa just before Christmas. We were talking about words for the new year and I mentioned mine. She began sharing her thoughts on peace, reflecting on what it could look like in the midst of chaos.
It hit me. She was right.
How can I live out Peace in chaos? Friends, how can we be peace amid the crazy?
In 2017, I will choose Peace.
In how I treat my neighbor on our road, in my community, around the globe. In the choices we make for our business. In the decisions we make as a family. In the ways I speak & in the ways I act.
I look forward to the hard work, the noise, the successes & the mistakes of 2017. How can I be light in darkness & peace in chaos? I look forward to sharing these thoughts in the year ahead!
Do you choose a word for your year? Share your 2017 word in the comments below!
love,
natalie
12 comments:
Natalie, this is off-topic but I would love to know the color and brand of your fabulous lipstick. As a redhead too, it is hard to find red colors that look good and I would love to try yours!
2016 was my year of peace. to start, I kept out the 3 Christmas decorations I have that say Peace on them to have around the house as gentle reminders :) then I saved some peace themed "posters/memes/graphics" whatever to my computer & swapped them out irregularly on my Facebook. As for living it, I truly started to 'let it go' when things didn't go my way, or how I had dreamed them. :) I would allow myself to be sad for a bit but shook out of it quickly & that grieving time got shorter as the year went on! I was also a source of peace for others as the year went on as well. I was able to share my 'it's okay, be sad, grieve, but them find the good & move toward it' theory over & over.
I am not sure what 2017 will bring. I am changing careers & am not sure what my next one will be (as the one I had planned on for the past 18 months fell through earlier this year-a good time to have peace as my word!!) so I need something about searching, moving forward, watching, waiting, finding or being found, letting things flow, following a path with a fork in the road, LOL
anyway, sorry for the book, I am freshly caffeinated this morning & evidently chatty...
Hi Natalie,
My word for the year is "Trust". In fact I wrote a blog post on it here: http://embroideryit.com/2017-word-of-the-year-trust/
I have a hard time letting go and placing my trust in others for fear of being let down. I decided on this word December 10th then on December 18 my mother experienced a heart attack. She is doing much better, but it was so hard to trust during that time. I just really have felt like "trust" is something God has placed on my heart that He knows it is something I need to work on and I have the feeling He will show me the value of trust this year.
Happy New Year to you and Luke!!
Nancy
I settled on Peace yesterday. I went back and forth but I've been struggling the last two years with various things and finally realized I needed something to work with and that was that!
I hope Peace serves you well this year.
I love that word. I can definitely see how it can serve as a powerful guidance throughout the year, and I especially love that quote in the last image..."to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart."...wow, so good. It's not my word for next year, but I really do want to keep that quote close by, it's amazing.
My word for 2016 was "release" and though I didn't focus much on it through the year, as I've been looking back in these last few weeks, I've realized that it has actually been the focus of the year for me. There was so much "releasing" going on for me in 2016 - of expectations, of limiting beliefs, of false stories I had about myself, and all these things - that I can now see what a big change it created in me over these last 12 months.
I haven't had quite as easy a time picking a word for 2017...I thought I had one a couple of weeks ago, but then 2 more came up that feel just as important for me, so I'm still going back and forth about it.
Anyway, hope you've been enjoying a wonderful holiday season, and wishing you a truly peaceful 2017!
My word for 2016 was "intentional" and I set monthly focuses for myself centered around my word at the beginning of the year. It was the first time that I had done this, and it really helped me to be anchored to my word for the whole year!
This year, the word "well" came to me. Basically, a thrive and not survive mindset is what I'm going for. I can't wait to live out this word in 2017!
My word for 2017 is focus. This word found me a few months ago and it feels like it fits even more as we prepare to enter 2017. I want to focus on my family,, focus on my marriage, focus on making creativity a greater part of my life, focus on serving my community both locally and globally in tangible ways, and also focus means using my planner more so I can focus on what I need to do. ;)
Thank you for sharing your word. Peace is powerful.
My 2016 word was "compassion." I haven't yet decided on my word for 2017. I'm with you about how one word is more effective than a whole resolution. I believe I know the person who made your Peace card. Her letterpress business used to be called "Ink and Iron" but I believe she changed the name.
In 2015 i chose discipline, 2016 was hope. For 2016 i'm embracing CHANGE. I am hoping to restart my career after being home raising my children. This will be a big change for me and my kids and our family's routune. We will also most likely be moving this summer. So i am enbracing the CHANGE and looking forward to what it may bring :)
This is the first year I decided to pick a word for me to reflect on & at church today during a quiet time I had a rush of different words that came to mind, but, Peace, that was the one that really spoke to me above all the others & peace is the word I decided to use for my "first" word of the year. I really love how you described peace in your post. I feel strongly that when we can create peace in ourselves & in our hearts that peace will carry over into our every day lives. Prays & well wishes for a blessed, peaceful year!
"Explore"
My word for 2017 is intentional! I need to learn to be in the moment with everything I do. Not just trying to get through one thing on to the next. I want to learn to slow down and savor each moment.
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