In A Word

Susannah's was the first place I saw regarding using a word to symbolize what you might want to see manifest in the year ahead in lieu of the traditional New Years resolutions.  I actually saw it last year but was intimidated to only have ONE word for a WHOLE year.  Can a person really do that?  It was enlightening to see over the course of the year how Susannah's word unfolded for her.  This year after seeing this "word" idea pop up in a few other places like here.  I decided to give it a go myself.

I sat a pondered this idea of finding a word that could sustain itself through a course of a year.  One word that could propell me to dig deeper, stretch farther and grow.  I bobbled a few words in my head for awhile but nothing felt right.  At the moment when I'd given up finding a word, it found me.

Invigorate!

Invigorate verb [prob. French. in- + vigor] (1646): to give life and energy to: ANIMATE; also SIMULATE

Since invigorate means in~vigor let's also look at the definition of vigor.

Vigor noun [Middle English vigour, from Latin vigor from vigere to be vigorous] 1: active bodily or mental strength or force 2: active healthy well-balanced growth 3: intensity of action or effect : FORCE

To be honest I'm a little daunted by this word ~ invigorate.  It's a big challenge for me to be active, strong, giving life and energy to all the areas in my life.  But I think I can do it.  The Little Engine That Could comes to mind.  "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can."  Hopefully at the end of the year I'll be saying, "I thought I could, I thought I could, I thought I could!"

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I heard a story about a Norwegian man who made his own set of wood skis.  First he found some beautiful, strong wood and carved it to a nice point at one end.  He then built a hot fire, gently placed clamps over the pointed end of the ski and ever so carefully began to bend the front of the ski over those hot, hot coals.  Slowly, almost imperceptibly he bent that wood into position.  Had he tired to bend it in one instant the wood would have split in two.  This is what I must remember, don't try to change everything all at once you'll only end up beating yourself.  Consistent energy over time will create the change.

Here's to invigorate in 2011!