My One Word for 2024

I typed the title wrong just now... I used "2023" instead of "2024..." Then I looked back on my previous posts and realized I didn't change my word last year (I kept "present" for the past two years), but I'm writing this to work out what my new word will be this year. "Present" worked pretty well, and I'm ready for a change.

I saw three blog posts in my Feedly this morning that tackled the "one word" idea. 

     Claim Your Greatness - Why #OneWord Will Define Your Year from Andy Milne

     One Word, One Wish from Sheri Edwards

     It's Tuesday! Join Us for Slice of Life! #SOL24 from Jenna Komarin (Two Writing Teachers) 

          (The comments are FULL of #OneWord posts!)

And I've received the seven days of "how to" from Jon Gordon (signed up through an email - here's his book on it I haven't read).

So this is my first #SOL24 Slice of Life post!

Disclaimer: I've read how to create a word for the year, and yet I've only followed the steps when it comes to doing this in class with my students. And that's AFTER I've already chosen a word. I choose it based on how it sounds, how it feels in my mouth, and what it does to my brain and heart. I've learned I like consistency, as I noticed I'd had the word "gratitude" from 2014-2022!! My life is full of gratitude - it helps me in so many ways, and I checked it out in my posts - I write about gratitude OFTEN! Practicing gratitude is a huge part of my thinking.

I've read so many "self-help" and focus and attention books the last few years. I've focused on being present and in the moment for two years now, but the word "present" itself doesn't do as much for me as maybe "listen" or "breathe" or "attention" ?? could now. I collect quotes from books (they're all here), and from one of the last books I read, I saved this one: 

I'm not a big fan of the word "attention" by itself, as it sounds... military to me. But attention is what I want to give. I want to give love in the form of attention. I want to give it to others by being fully present in the moment. I also want to give it to myself by noticing all I'm grateful for in each moment, and noticing where my attention is (or is going!), so I can work on keeping it in each moment.

Two things help me pay better attention - breathing a couple of deep breaths (sometimes even just one helps bring be back!), and listening fully. I'm not sure if it was during one of my mindfulness sessions (with the Calm app), or if it was something I was reading about Stoicism, but something had me think about the sun. The sun gives and gives, and it never asks, "What can you do for me?" This made me think about the act of giving attention - giving that consistent and unconditional love. I've been toying with the idea of a tattoo (but OUCH?!), and so I've been drawing a sunset on the inside of my right wrist for a few days now. 

Not just a sun - to remind me to give attention without expecting anything in return - but a sunset - to remind me of something my nephew once said to us as we were in awe at the sunset in Holland, MI, "This happens every day." It's consistent. And also to remind me that now I'm kind of (sort of? actually?) in my own sunset years. My life is at least half-way through, and what will I do now? How should I live my life right?

But "sun" doesn't work for me, and neither does "sunset." They are nouns, not actions.

So....... I look up "sun." It's at the center of our solar system. That brings me to "center" - which is what I try to do to myself to ground myself when I'm upset or shaken by something. I center myself. And I'm noticing more and more what's in my center of control - my thoughts and my voluntary actions... but "center" sounds too... ego-driven. I read more about the sun... "energy," "heat," "radiation," "light," "life," "elements" ...  It's mass consists of a lot of gas... ;) And it formed from the "gravitational collapse of matter," which reminds me of how our challenges change us.

What about "radiate"? Can an adjective like "consistent" work? Not for me. I might want to change further, and "consistent" won't help me accept change, unless I think of it for how I should act in the face of change... consistent with the behaviors that help me stay in the moment? I want to go back to providing my attention as an act of love. I want to stop, breathe, listen, and give love through my attention to the people around me and the present moment.

So... I went for a walk in the middle of writing this blog post.

Words that came into my mind: shine, notice, accept, recognize, appreciate, quiet, pause, observe... To me, "shine" means positivity, and I can't act positive all the time - some people are put off by that. I thought of "shine" meaning to "radiate" or "share," but that won't work for me. "Recognize" means what, really? To "know again?" I can "notice" and not always "recognize" or "accept," and that's plenty okay. I think it's important to notice without judgement, so "notice" is my favorite right now. I said "Happy New Year" to someone on my walk, and they didn't respond, so I said it back to myself... immediately I thought of the word "quiet." Like, really, Joy, just shut up. My snarky reaction was to say it back to myself? I was judging, that's for sure. But "quiet" to me is not as good as "listen," and I've already taken that out of the mix for this year. I like "pause," but I like "breathe" and "notice" better. As for "observe," to me it has a negative connotation - only because of classroom observations. Observing is great. Noticing... better (in my opinion).

Yup. I'm going to go with "notice" for this year's #OneWord. I'm going to pause, breathe, and notice the sights, sounds, smells, what my body is doing (heart rate, breathing, tense or not), what other people look like or are saying or how they're acting... and then I can decide how best to act. During a startling or angering moment, I'll take this break, notice what I can, and then be my best self. I'll notice that the sun comes up each day (even if it's hidden behind the clouds) and sets somewhere in a beautiful way each evening. I'll notice the constant heat and warmth it provides - without asking anything of me. I'll notice what I'm giving my attention to and redirect it if it's not beneficial to myself or others.

Here's a snapshot of the point in my walk when I realized I wanted my word to be "notice." I heard a squirrel eating, birds chirping, wind rustling through the weeds. I was noticing the steam above the water, the reflection of the trees and sun, and I was looking for the hawk I'd seen land in the trees (it eluded me). I could smell winter - crisp, cold in my nose, old leaves and maybe a tiny scent of skunk? I could feel the breeze on my cheeks, the sun in my eyes, and the quiet peace of this spot.

If you'd zoom in, you'd might notice the blue heron at the edge of the far right side of this tributary on our creek in our forest preserve. 

I've seen this big bird on my last three walks near the dam. Here's a bonus photo of it - it was about ten feet from me and didn't fly away when I recorded it and took its picture! :D

If you'd zoom out, you'd notice the sun trying to light up the morning.

I hope to notice more in 2024. When I notice, I hope to pause and breathe, listen better, provide more attention, make fewer judgements, and stay centered in more moments.

I'm excited to NOTICE and give attention to other bloggers in 2024, as well! 

Thank you Two Writing Teachers for creating a space to share our stories.

Mindfulness Work

Two More Books to Share...

If you know me at all, you know I'm reading for my mental health (self-help books and adult fiction and memoirs) as well as for my seventh graders (YA/MG books and nonfiction how-to books). Two books I just finished...

My notes for each --> Fully Present: The Science, Art, and Practice of Mindfulness

Awakened: Change Your Mindset to Transform Your Teaching

They helped me get through the last two weeks of April and this first week of May. My #OneWord for 2022 is "present," and Fully Present was an audiobook I received free for educators through Libro.fm. I learned through these two books to not judge myself when it comes to slipping up during mindfulness, so I forgave myself for listening to it while doing the dishes... ;) I did stop to take notes when I found a gem I wanted to keep. From this one, I was reminded of the myriad benefits of doing NOTHING for a few minutes each day. This means stopping to focus on my breathing, so I can be more in the moment, and less in the past or worrying about the future.

As for Awakened,* I re-read sections of this. I read the first 50 pages in on sitting, then thought of it during school/work the next day. When I got home, I read them again. This is not something I usually do. The next night, I read them again and then summarized them in my own words. I decided my notes for this one would be summaries first, and then I'd fill it in with specific quotes I wanted to look back on later. Because I'm so invested in making my mind healthier, I have all of my self-help / optimism / mindfulness / joy book notes printed out and put into a binder. Those I actually read again every so often when I need a boost / reminder. I love seeing repeated ideas throughout the binder. One other book that won't be in the binder that I've been reading daily is The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman. It's got a lot of the same ideas about how to be mindful, controlling your own thoughts, and not letting influences (from all over) change who you want to be. 

These two books have solidified a few things for me.

1. It is up to ME how I feel. My thoughts control my feelings. I can take control of my thoughts.
2. Worries, anxieties, fears ... they're all FUTURE based. When I focus on the present, they go away.
3. When I ruminate about the past, I make those thoughts worse and more concrete, making them harder to go away. I need to remind myself that the other person involved is most likely NOT thinking of those moments now and it's only hurting me. It could even be hurting my physical health.
4. Stop and think of each current thought. Does it do you any good? If not, let it go or replace it. Just because it's a thought, doesn't mean it's true, and it doesn't mean it's important right now. Plant the seeds of positive thoughts - you'll reap later what you sow now.
5. It's going to take a lot of time and practice to change your thinking. All our life we're inundated by images and words that influence us. It's time for me to start taking control of what I want influencing me.

I loved being immersed in the language around mindfulness and controlling my own thoughts. Hearing it from one book, reading it in the other, then following up with a quick meditation that helped me to breathe evenly and put me to sleep each night (the Calm app) really helped some of these ideas stick.

Calm App...

    This tool may still be free to educators, I hope. I'm on a streak right now of about two weeks. I've been hearing the same ideas from the two books in the app (words such as "catastrophize" and ideas such as reframing my thoughts). Just last night, after I'd taken some notes about how our thoughts are seeds, I get this one to listen to before bed:

Online Resources...

    UCLA's MARC Site

        It includes a link to their app: UCLA Mindful

     Changing Thoughts with an AI Assistant

        The questions / process:

1. What negative thought are you struggling with right now? (You can choose or type an answer.)
2. What's a recent situation that led to this negative thought?
3. Select the thinking trap. (I really like this one - it shows possible thinking traps, such as "fortune telling," "overgeneralizing," "negative feeling or emotion," and "all-or-nothing thinking," and these change based on what you've put in for your answer. It suggests what it thinks you're doing. The AI here seems to be spot on - at least the two times I tried it.)
4. Reframe your thinking. (First it tells you - based on what you chose as the thinking trap - a tip for how to overcome that thinking trap. Then it gives you space to type in your own reframing thoughts, and it also gives you three options it came up with. You can even click "Show more reframes" !!) Once you choose or write one, it asks you to see if you can make it more positive, realistic, or helpful. I changed one word of mine - "can" to "will" - you can see my final reframe in the photo below.)
5. Evaluate the activity. (You do not need to do this. It's part reflection, part info for the AI, I'll bet. There is another section after that which is an optional survey.)
1. I filled out the survey and was rewarded with a summary (which I didn't know I was going to get - this is much better than the screenshots I took)! Too bad you have to fill out the survey to get it, but maybe you can just click "next" without filling it out...

     Overcoming Negative Thoughts

        The questions they use on this site are simple - so much so that you don't need the site:

1. What negative thought are you struggling with?
2. Where does this negative thought come from?
3. If your friend was dealing with the same negative thought, what would you say to help them feel more hopeful? (I love this question!)
4. What do you need to say or do so you can truly believe the more hopeful thought?

Conclusion

Of course, I've read many more books on optimism and joy and how to be happy during the fall and winter of the 2020-2021 school year. My post from June of 2021 about those books is here. What makes these different? The lessons are finally STICKING. I was in class the other day saying in my head, "Dismiss. Distract..." and then I focused on something else instead of that worrying/annoying/not helpful thought. Maybe they're sticking because I've read so many with the same ideas. I'll take it. And I'll probably keep reading more. What I want to do first, however, is to practice meditating for 5-10 min a day without falling asleep to it... Taking 5-10 min out of my day to let negative thoughts appear and then dismiss them can only be beneficial.

I will keep learning and practicing. With time and effort, I can learn to recognize and manage negative thoughts.

*One thing I have to add about Awakened... Page 1 starts on the left side of the book. This was at first a source of aggravation for me. By the time I finished the book, my mindset had shifted. I now wonder what other books start that way?

My One Word for 2022

In 2013, I caught the #OneWord bug, and I decided my word would be "GRATITUDE." I wrote about it here, and I've kept that word each year since then.

A lot has happened in the last two years, and I've learned a TON. Gratitude has been engrained in my practice of mental health. I don't feel the need to keep this word central in my life, as it IS a daily practice for me, and it is part of what I want to focus on more next year.

In 2022, I want to be more PRESENT. I want to live in each moment. 

I asked my Twitter PLN for suggestions for my one word, and I thought that writing about it would help me process better and choose a word I can work with. I'll start by collecting here what my educator peeps shared:

As I was reading the suggestions, I kept thinking: FOCUS. ATTENTION. LISTEN. OBSERVE. MINDFUL.

I want to do my best every day - even if I mess up. I want to slow down, take deep breaths, not be on a roller coaster of emotions, and be a better listener.  I want to stay off my phone, look at people when they're talking, not have to ask, "What?" because I was multitasking, not snack just because it's something to do... All of this comes into play if I can be present in each moment.

Now that I'm writing about it, thinking more about it, and talking with my husband about it (I love that he asks, "If you don't have one by midnight, will you turn into a pumpkin?"), here are other words I'm considering: Awareness. NOW. HERE. AQUÍ. (Aquí is "here" in Spanish, and it makes me think... it's the KEY to being present...)

Being able to be present in each moment, paying attention by observing details all around me (and what I'm doing) right here and now, aware of what's going on (and what I'm doing or how I'm reacting) right here and now, is truly a GIFT. It's a gift to myself, allowing me to be grateful for all I have and all I can be or do, also allowing me to stay off the emotional roller coaster, and it's a gift to those around me, as they'll be affected in a positive way if I'm at my best right here and now, listening and giving them my full attention.

If I play with that word, "GIFT" as one possible definition of "PRESENT," I can see the gifts in my mind: large and small, decorated, ribbons, bows, tags, and quiet. Thinking of it as an actual box waiting, I can see myself not talking as much, not spouting off on social media, not putting my foot in my mouth, not saying something I might regret later... I can also see it as something to give to others. My time, my focus, my energy - away from distractions such as my phone, towards learning more about them instead.

If I play with the word PRESENT as a verb, I immediately think of presenting in front of groups - like I did before 2020 came crashing down, and like I will starting again in February of 2022. (There's a "however" after this one, though...) However, I want to be sure presenting doesn't mean I'm not listening and learning. What the verb could mean is that I present a better me to those around me and to myself. I present a calmer me, a better friend me, a better listener me, a better teacher me, a better sister and wife me... I'm liking this word more and more.

----------- hours later ----------- in fact, the next day ------------  January 1, 2022

I'm sticking with "PRESENT." 

I'm going to do my best to be in the moment. Right here. Right now. I'm going to do so because it's the key to what I want for myself (and for others) - I hope to be a better listener, regret fewer things I say and do, soak up the good times, view the difficult times as more of an observer, focus better on one thing at a time, take more deep breaths, not have such an emotional ride of extremes, and live with more purpose in 2022.

Gratitude

I'm not going to write a "best of 2013" post.

In fact, I wasn't going to write another post this year. This break has been a true "break!" Still amazed at the power of sharing ideas with teachers from across the nation and the world, I thought I'd just let others write and share while I sat back and enjoyed reading them.

Alas, Michelle Haseltine inspired me last night. There were a few gems in her Sunshine Award blog post. Here's the one that was the catalyst for this post:

Many teachers choose one word for their year. I haven't done this...yet. I guess it's time, because I already knew my word.

Made with the app "Over" on a photograph of an apple a student gave to me this year.

I knew this, as I am reminded daily of how grateful I am - and I need to show it more. But what reminded me one more time that I am right where I'm meant to be...is that I received this piece of jewelry this year from a student, and it came with this explanation:
   GRATEFUL 4 
   We are all Grateful 4 something
   Many different things, each and every day
   Look at your wrist and 4malize your thoughts!

What was even MORE serendipitous, was that prior to me reading Michelle's post, yet on the very same day, I saw this tweet from Rik Rowe.

Appreciation / gratitude also makes people... happier. The person who is grateful, and the person who is receiving the appreciation (once you show it!) simply become happier.

This has spurred an idea a few of us are going to roll with in 2014, that will hopefully let others share their gratitude in a new format. We are very grateful for all of our PLN - passionate teachers who love to learn, question, share... You rejuvenate me in my 19th year of teaching, and I am very grateful for each one of you. 2014 will be the year I express this gratitude in all I do.

Authors's Note, January, 2014 - Here is the blog that has spurred from this one word 

- The Power of Appreciation -

Feel free to jump in and thank someone you appreciate!

** January, 2024 update: This website is no longer accepting submissions.