One Word 2013: Ready!
I chose One Word to focus on in 2009 (Change), 2010 (Drudgery), and 2011 (Reliance), but not for 2012. Looking back to try to sum up the year in one word, I consider: Last year was one in which many “Dreams” came true, and I found a rooted sense of “Home” after wrestling with homesickness and in the midst of a cross-continental move. But as I read my friend Amy’s post about her 2012 word Hope, I realize that was the word for my 2012 as well.
I’ll go with estel, which means “hope” in Tolkien’s Elvish language Sindarin. It is the name Aragorn’s mother gave him; when she brought him to Rivendell for his safety, she said, “Onen i-estel edain (I give hope to mankind).” The concept of estel for the Elves is a big philosophical idea: faith that the Creator is good in spite of the darkness seen in the world. You can read more about the idea of estel at Tolkien Gateway.
Oh, and it’s also the name of my youngest daughter, born near the end of 2011. As we cared for the sweetest, easiest baby in the world, who charmed everyone around her, and struggled through the difficult immigration process of following God’s summons to the Netherlands, 2012 was the year of Estel–and estel–for us.
I wasn’t planning to pick a word for 2013, either, because rather than doing a year-long focus, I’ve been doing weekly intentions with my Mastermind group. A few days ago, Amy told me about her 2013 word, and our conversation must have gotten my subconscious working on it. Earlier today, a word popped into my head for 2013: “Ready.”
Ready is an exciting, mysterious word, because the question it leads to is, “Ready for WHAT?”
I have no idea!
As I’ve thought and prayed about it more, I sense that God has plans ahead for which I need to be ready. Maybe it means spending this year getting ready for things to come in 2014. Maybe it means many little things will change this year, and I need to be ready in different ways for each of them.
I want my home to be more ready for hospitality. Rather than run around to straighten up when people are coming over, I’d like to be more persistently prepared.
I want my body to be ready for any physical challenges that may come. I need to eat healthier (I have been half-hearted about Paleo, even though I know high protein/low carb/lots of plant-based foods works well for us from our time on South Beach). I need to get even more exercise than my bike-transportation naturally creates. Maybe I’ll start running again?
I want to be emotionally and spiritually prepared to handle difficult circumstances or attacks. My spiritual discipline has been awfully lacking, and I need to step it up significantly before get more spiritually anorexic.
I want my platform to be ready for explosive growth. Michael Hyatt just did a great post on growing your platform in 2013. I’ve been working hard on focusing my writing goals, and I have some exciting possibilities and plans to pursue. Even before I can become more productive as a writer, I need to get my home ready for productivity by setting up desk space for myself. (Which I was going to do today, but I sat down to write this instead…)
For whatever I am mysteriously preparing, I want to be READY in 2013.
(Custom One Word graphic made for me by Melanie at Only A Breath)
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