The Word of the Year 2016

Every year, I try to zero in on one word which inspires my actions, thoughts and relationships. This is done in place of making resolutions I just can't seem to keep. Past words have included: savor, turnover, mindful, embark and sixty. Silly as it may seem, these one-word personal cues have made a difference. 

Sometimes the words come easily; sometimes they don't. There were several candidates for the year:

The word ONE.

The word JOURNEY.

The runner-up word of FOCUS.

But none felt exactly right. However, on this past Sunday gray day as I was headed into church, it came to me! A word about the need for this in our lives, how we need this in loving the world, eating healthy and thinking creatively and really seeing all the gifts we've been given everyday...sunrises and sunsets, forests, oceans, mountains, flowers. The word is

Think about a life without color. Think about how we take our vision for granted. (And think about those cataracts developing!) and I am determined in 2016 to celebrate color! Eating veggies and fruits. Hanging out with people who are colorful. Doing tasks that start with letters in c-o-l-o-r: celebrating, cleaning, clearing (c), organizing, observing (o), learning, laughing, lounging, (l), and reading, reorganizing, reaching and relaxing (r).

Have you seen this picture recently floating around on Facebook? She clinched the word-of the-year for me:

She's 93 and is quoted as saying, "Well, I refuse to be that little old white-haired lady!" She's my kind of ****colorful! 

****Note: I'm not intending to go the pink hair route just yet, though.

Here's to a color-filled New Year!