One Word 2011

My heart is pounding in my ears even as I type that title.

My friend, Alece, started a challenge last year, which I did not accept. She chose one word to focus on for the year, and invited others to do the same. It's a great concept for those of us who don't like to make resolutions, but I resisted last year because I felt it was so limiting.

I was even very resistant this year when she invited us to join her again. But I couldn't stop thinking about it. Thinking about what my word would be, if, you know, I did choose one. How would it shape my thinking? My writing?  I kept pushing those thoughts away because I was pretty certain I would mostly be focusing on my baby and didn't want to be tied to anything else.

Those were excuses though.

The truth is that my word was chasing me and I was running. I didn't want to commit. Didn't want to be accountable. Vulnerable.

Which is probably exactly why I need to do it.

So, my word for 2011 is

(drum roll)

Joy

No, just kidding. I think we all had enough of that last month.

The word making me extremely nervous right now is

Ask


I've written before how I just like to know, but not to learn. I like to be the one to give help, but not so much to receive it. I like to have the answers, not the questions.

So ask is key for me this year, being a new, partially-single mom. I'm so fortunate to be surrounded by a goldmine of wisdom and experience of other moms who love me and are there for me. It's a bonus prize that many of their husbands are good friends of John's and have offered their help. All I need to do is ask.

Ask is key to unlocking what God has for me this year. There's even a Scripture about that somewhere.

Ask is key to being a better writer. I'll need to ask for advice, feedback and ideas. I'll need to ask for opportunities to write and ask people to let me tell their stories (and then listen to them when they tell me!).

There's so much more, but hey, we've got a year.

Here we go. You in?

(If you want to join the One Word challenge or see what others are blogging about, click out the graphic on the left.)