One Little Word Becomes My 2015 Mantra

With the New Year comes a fresh start to approach life in a different way. This new pathway we discover becomes a welcomed avenue for a new year.  

New Year resolutions have always been a familiar return to school activity in the beginning of January. They tend to be markers of what needs to be accomplished but these well wishes often fall by the wayside as the months move on. In the past year, an alternate path to the New Year resolution has sprung up in the form of a one little word (OLW). It appears to be the trendy thought in the Twittershpere so why not try it out?

Bloggers use the one little word as a mantra that lights the way. One writer recently spoke of the OLW as a soundtrack for the year (such a splendid image). I found my one little word for 2015 that compliments my 2014 word (openness). My guiding word, LISTEN, will become my mantra. I invite this word to become a part of my vocabulary as I listen intently to what life has to offer and what I can bring to my relationships.

I heard my word call me as I approached winter. You can read about the evolution of my OLW here and here. While I am not a huge fan of cold weather and snowbound times, I decided to take a fresh look at winter this season. To honor my new perspective, I sent out an invitation to all to listen to winter's whisperings. Hence, the Winter Whisperings Gallery of Artistic Expressions came to be from a desire to bring diverse writers from around the states and the globe to write how winter touches their lives. I listened to my one little word, Listen, to turn winter into a magical season of possibilities, despite the chill, snowstorms, and all the issues that arise from extreme weather conditions. You can view to my invitation to write for the gallery here. 

Last week for Poetry Friday, Mary Lee Hahn, a colleague, created an acrostic poem about her one little word, notice. Margaret Simon, another colleague, thought that would be a unique way of publicizing our words so I decided to try one out for size. I listened to my heart and here is what it said. 

Then, I searched for a song that might capture the essence of the one little word concept. While the song I found is not a contemporary one, I felt it was a nostalgic way of portraying the one little word theme. 

I have been thinking about the power of the one little word as way to bring positivity to light so I decided that my message for professional development sessions this January would revolve around the OLW. Below is one slide that I created for a reflective writing exercise with educators. The same type of activity, the creation of a Graffiti Wall of OLWs, can be implemented with students. One little words evolve from a reflective stance and look at the year to come and how the message of positivity can enter and affect your world. 

Now it is time to stroll over Two Writing Teachers where you can find other writers Slices of Life.

To contribute to Margaret Simon's DigiLit Sunday site, I am dedicating my professional development work on OLW as a start on how I will integrate technology into literacy.

 Here is a compilation of one little words gathered from last weekend's Celebrate this Week bloggers, using Tagxedo.