Theme for the year 2016

December 15, 2015
Gretchen Rubin has inspired me (not the first time) to name a one-word theme for the year.  Many great ideas were noted in the comments of her post: SPACE.  SWEETER.  DELIGHT.  Gretchen’s own is LIGHTEN UP.

I have decided that my theme for 2016 will be PEACE.

Ways in which it could apply . . .

* Appreciating peaceful moments as they are happening, unfolding.  (Walking outside.  A few minutes alone with coffee.  Snuggling on the couch.  And many more . . .)

* Cultivating a sense of peace during meditation, or during everyday activities (running . . . driving . . . cleaning up toys)

* Aiming for peace in my relationships.  I can express opinions without vitriol.  Sometimes I can get a little too fired up, and to what end?  I am not going to become passive, but sometimes peace is a better options.

* Achieving peace with my planner.  AKA: when things do not go 100% according to plan, I will roll with them.
* Bringing a sense of peace to work.  I want to be that person who makes others (patients, families, colleagues, coworkers) feel calm; the kind of person that brings a sense of “okayness” with them even in tough sitautions.  Sometimes, I feel that I succeed with this, but I want to do it more.

* Feeling peace with where we are, as a family, right now.  As in – I don’t need to be in a hurry to have older/bigger/less dependent children.  Now is pretty beautiful, and it’s going incredibly fast.

* Attaining peace with my belongings:  in the Kon-Mari sense, and also in the sense that I don’t need an excess of material goods to be happy

To anyone who knows me, please remind me of my theme (gently) if (when) I appear to be engaging in decidedly non-peaceful behaviors …

Anyone else have a theme in mind for the coming year?  

7 Comments

  • Reply nicoleandmaggie March 10, 2019 at 7:12 pm

    Publish?

    Or maybe not, I don’t like jinxing myself.

  • Reply Lily March 10, 2019 at 7:12 pm

    I’ve been doing this for years, but often a full phrase or sentence, rather than just one word. Still working on this year but it may be FOCUS

  • Reply Ana March 10, 2019 at 7:12 pm

    The more I think about it, the more I love PEACE. Like you, I can get fired up. I also get easily flustered or have my mood ruined (or at least dampened) by stupid little setbacks. I want to achieve a sense of calm—its good for ME but also can be contagious and I can’t imagine a better feeling to spread to your family/patients/colleagues. So I’m going to stick with "Delight" but maybe have "peace" in the background 🙂

  • Reply anne March 10, 2019 at 7:12 pm

    Lovely idea. I think Peace is a great theme for the year and you’ve got a good plan.

  • Reply Laura Vanderkam March 10, 2019 at 7:12 pm

    I think my word needs to be "book." As in come up with an idea for one and write one. Granted, that’s more of a to-do than a theme word, but hey.

  • Reply Kelly March 10, 2019 at 7:12 pm

    I looooove this! I think I’m going for "gratitude" in 2016.

  • Reply Detecting leaks March 10, 2019 at 7:11 pm

    Lovely idea. I think Peace is a great theme for the year and you’ve got a good plan

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