One Word

I tend to read quite a few different blogs when I have the time.  You can get a lot of different viewpoints on all kinds of topics and most of them are very interesting.  And I have to admit that more than a few of the blogs I read are motivational in nature, written by so many of these life coaches that try so hard to sell you on all their programs to improve your life….and supposedly to make six figure incomes.  Much of what they write is geared toward women, is pretty woo-woo and pretty out there for me.  I don’t buy into a lot of it.  But every once in awhile, I’ll read one that really resonates with me.

Recently, I read a series of blog posts by readers of Christine Kane’s blog that were written in December of last year.  The idea was that, instead of coming up with resolutions for the new year, these people chose just one word to be their theme for the year. A pretty interesting concept to be sure.  We all know how successful most New Year resolutions are!  It’s not something I’ve ever done.  These folks chose a word and made it their mantra, posted it all over their worlds and made it a part of everything they did for the year.  And they had remarkable success in bringing their lives in line with their chosen word.  So, I looked at some of the words Christine suggested or her guest bloggers had chosen.  Most of them were, to put it nicely, trendy: clarity, authentic, gratitude, abundance, release and a lot of other words or concepts  like that.  Pretty woo-woo.  They may work for some of these folks, but they’re not really my style.

One word on the list though struck a chord with me: Trust.  That one I liked.  That’s one I could understand.  That’s one I could identify with and keep it as a mantra for more than a year.  I need to learn to trust more: to trust in myself, in my abilities, in my decisions, in other people, in opportunities, and last but certainly a biggie for me, in God.  Yeah, I’ve got trust issues that I would like to work on.  As I sat and thought about it, Trust could be my word for 2010 and the new decade.  I liked it a lot.  It felt comfortable….but maybe too comfortable.  Like maybe it wasn’t enough of a challenge.

But then another word came to me.  This one wasn’t on anybody’s list.  It wasn’t trendy, that I know of.  It definitely wasn’t woo-woo.  It’s a manly word.  This one REALLY spoke to me.  The word is GUTS. You know, the whole John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Dirty Dozen type of thing. GUTS.  It’s what Mrs. Pickford told me I had in the fifth grade.  As in having the GUTS to do what needs to be done.  Having the GUTS to live my life the way I know I should.  Having the GUTS to do those things that I don’t want to do, but know I must.  Having the GUTS to believe in myself.  Having the GUTS to go after those things that I want.  Having the GUTS to stand up for what I believe in.  In short, having the GUTS to be the man I am and the man I’d like to become.  And then there are all those little things that require a certain amount of GUTS too.  Like having the GUTS to make that phone call.  Having the GUTS to speak in a crowd.  Having the GUTS to take that photograph or try that new technique.  Having the GUTS to set limits.  Having the GUTS to set a price and stick to it.   Yeah, I found the word  for me, one that can be my mantra for the new year and the new decade, one that says it all for me….GUTS! That’s my goal: meeting my life head on with GUTS.  The Duke and Mrs. Pickford would be proud of me. And if I can approach every day of my life with a certain amount of GUTS, so will I.

So, while the rest of the world is makng their resolutions for the new year, I’ll be seeing how I can inject my new word into my life. It will be all over my life.  I’ll post it on my wall.  I’ll make it my screen saver.  I’m going to put it anywhere it can remind me to live my life with GUTS.  And I’ll question myself about whether or not I’ve met every situation with a certain amount of GUTS.  It’s gonna be my word for the year.  I can see some pretty big changes coming in the next year, if only I have the GUTS to make them happen in my life.  Heck, it may become my word for the rest of my life.  Check in with me periodically to see what effect it’s having.

And maybe next year I’ll be writing a guest post for Christine Kane to tell her readers how having the GUTS to make it my word changed my 2010. Should be an interesting year.