I am a newbie at the One Word 365 concept: choosing A WORD to take you through the year with regards to personal growth.

I am not sure about you, but my track record with New Year’s resolutions is rather dismal. As 2021 was approaching, I was contemplating to resolve, or not to resolve? A friend of mine whom I love and respect posted her ONE WORD 365. WOW. I was blown away by this concept. It hit me as wise and significant!

I found the One Word 365 Facebook group. When I visited it late in the year 2020, people were actively choosing words for 2021. The Facebook group allows you to share your word and to journey through learning about the intricacies of this word, inside this community. They fabulously state: “While we each individually lean into our word, we get to do so in the context of community. No one has to walk alone.” BOOM … I was sold.

Never, ever, have I contemplated the idea of one being existing without the rest of the beings on our planet. “No man is an island” is a line from a poem penned by poet John Donne in the 17th century. 

No man is an island,
entire of itself;
every man is a piece of the continent,
a part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less,
as well as if a promontory were.
as well as if a manor of thy friend’s
or of thine own were.
Any man’s death diminishes me,
because I am involved in mankind;
and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
it tolls for thee.

I began reading self-help literature decades ago. In the days of Oprah Winfrey’s TV show, I started with a book she had recommended. Since that time, I have read volumes of books in my quest to find myself and improve my lessons learned on earth. For me, the quest to choose JUST ONE WORD was enormous. I changed my mind several times. Eventually, I asked myself what would be the most powerful lesson I could learn right NOW?

MY WORD!

There it was. My One Word 365 for the year of 2021 is NOW! I suggested to myself that the best lesson I could learn right now was to be here, present, focused on now.

NOW OR WHEN?

Now Or When is my acronym for the word NOW. I ask myself this when contemplating action. Will I make the right choice, now or when? Can I do this now, and if not, when? When else might be better, if not now?

Now is the only time that exists. Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow, becomes now as we live it. The best time to make choices, indeed the ONLY time to make choices, make decisions, understand proclamations or otherwise, is NOW! NOW is always the right time, because it is the only time.

I believe there is always a choice. The word NOW has helped me many times over in making choices. The most powerful lesson for me has been living in the NOW. I have wallowed in the past and projected myself too far into the future. I am learning to live now, enjoy now, and most importantly to BE ME NOW. With a few months of this new year behind me, I can only imagine the fabulous things to be learned by focusing on my One Word 365.

Now I choose, now I think, now I plan, and now is when I do. Now, is the only focus because now is all there is. I invite you to think about this process and how valuable it could be for you. One Word 365 invites people to join on any of the 365 days we call a year. There are no rules of time or choice. You have only to contemplate your word as you move through 2021. By promoting your one word in your mind, it shall come to be that you will learn all the lessons this word has to offer. Will it be so, for you?