2014 Word of the Year

David asked me last night what my word of the year was going to be. "It's danger, isn't it?" he said. "No, it's not danger...Okay, fine, it is. It's danger," I replied. Naturally.

Except it's really not danger. Maybe next year. We'll see.

I wasn't sure I was going to choose a new word this year. Last year I spent more time thinking about my list than about my word of the year, and I was okay with that. But as I reflect on that list--what  I did, what I didn't do, why I even chose the goals I did--I am reminded that several of the things I put on that list were specifically to encourage me to be brave. Wearing sequins and scuba diving? Totally outside my comfort zone. And yet they both got checked off. (Sort of. And not simultaneously, although that would've been awesome.)

So I've chosen a word for this year to help me finalize my new year-long to-to list. Wanna know what it is?

I want to be more mindful of all the little things that have the potetential to make my days so sweet. Mindful of my priorities and the way I use my time. Mindful of the people in my life and how I can better encourage and cherish them. Mindful of my body and its needs. Mindful of the responsibilities and opportunities I've been given. Mindful of how I approach my life, so that I don't waste it on the artificial and pointless but instead fill it with wonder and joy.

Here's to a more conscious, deliberate, appreciative, mindful new year.

(Previous words of the year: 2013, 2012, 2011, and 2010)