“Gracefulness has been defined to be the outward expression of the inward harmony of the soul” William Hazlitt

Today is the last day of 2012 and it makes sense that I would spend at least a little time reflective on my "one little word" of 2012, peace. I can't take credit for the idea of "one little word".  It was something that was introduced to me by a friend and after some looking, I found the idea has been around for awhile.  I supposed you could start at anytime really but there is something about the ending of one year and the beginning of another that gets people thinking.  Most of the time I think people make grand resolutions about how they want to be better in some aspect.  Health, relationships, work...there are many that are made...and, most of the time, broken.  I myself can't even begin to list my former resolutions.  Change is hard and can be overwhelming, even when you have a plan.

But there is something different about the idea of "one little word".  It is just one little word.  It can't be that hard. Easy.  It's just a word.  There is only one.

Well...that is partially correct.  It is just one word.  There isn't some need for a long list of "to-do's".  You just need to remember your one word.  Simple.

And that is where the 'easy' ends.  In everything I read, and it certainly holds true for me, the word a person picks is a reflection of something that needs to change.  And as I said before, change is hard, even when you want it.

So...last year around this time I picked the word peace.  I wanted to have more internal peace.  I wanted to react to situations/people in a more peaceful way.  I wanted to make choices that would bring peace to my family and friends.  I wanted more calm in my heart, even when (and maybe even especially when) things around me didn't seem peaceful.  I wanted to be the one responsible for creating that peace in my life, accountable for making it happen.

Simply said, I think my one little word served me well.  I bought a little silver ring with the word 'PEACE' stamped on.  To anyone else, it just looks like a thing silver band, but to me it was what anchored me to my word all year long.  Wherever I went it was always with me, reminding me of what I wanted.  A silly as it might sound, I think it was that little silver band that has helped me live my word.

Now, I want to say that it didn't always work.  While there were times that I was in a given situation that I would look at the ring or even play with it that resulted in a different behavior, there were also plenty of times that I looked at it afterwards and said to myself, "Could have remembered that a little better."  But overall, I think there was more peace in my life because of my focus this year.  That little silver band isn't coming off, but I am going to shift gears a tad for 2013.

Which leads me to share my "one little word" for 2013.  It is just one little word. It can't be that hard. Easy.  It's just a word.  There is only one.

Um, right.

Ok...my "one little word" for 2013 is....grace.

Grace.

I didn't really want this word when I first started thinking of new words.  There is clearly an aspect of Christian faith that is conjured for most people when they hear this word and not being of Christian faith, the word didn't seem to fit.  But as I started to think about what I wanted for myself this year, the word that seemed to sum it up best was grace.

As I sit and write about it now, there is clearly a connection to my 2012 word of peace.  There is an internal peace that I think one has to have to extend grace to themselves and others.  There were other words and ideas that came up; kindness, inner peace, the benefit of the doubt, forgiveness. But it was grace that seemed to sum up all of those words for me.

I am warming up to the idea that this is the right word for me this year.  There is still a part of me that isn't completely comfortable with the word.  It is most certainly the religious aspect that has me hung up.  I don't know quite what to do about that.  (And as I have typed, erased, re-typed, erased again...rinse and repeat for the last ten minutes after that last sentence, I think it is safe to say that there is more I need to write about that.  Whether that writing makes it way on here or not will remain to be seen.  I guess I need to give myself some grace regarding that.)  What it does tell me is that maybe this word is actually the perfect word for 2013.

In addition to the quote in the title of this post, I have found a few others (that are now on a Pinterest board) to help define a little better what it is that I am looking for.  I did this for peace and it was helpful to go back on the days that I needed some reminding.

One is just the definition of grace.

grace: noun, the exercise of love, kindness, mercy, favor; disposition to benefit or serve another.

Another quote I found is kind of like a mantra of sorts.

I will hold myself to a standard of grace, not perfection.

Another is less of a quote and more of an idea.

How you climb up a mountain is just as important as how you get down the mountain.  

And so it is with life, which for many of us becomes one gigantic test 

followed by one gigantic lesson.  In the end, it all comes down to one word.  Grace.  

It's how you accept winning and losing, good luck and bad luck, the darkness and the light.

So, there it is.

Grace.

Happy New Year everyone.