Jan 06 2008
What’s in a word….
A few days ago…my friend Lisa Strahl challenged us to come up with a word that we felt would be significant in our lives this year. Ali Edwards has been doing this for a few years and seems to have kicked off quite a trend. I decided I would try and come up with something but it wasn’t as easy as I had thought! So many thoughts came through my mind. So many goals but my thoughts were quite difficult to distill into one single word. LOL Who would have thought it would take two days of thinking!? And so….finally….here it is…
My word for 2008 is {Embrace}
em·brace (m-brs)
v. em·braced, em·brac·ing, em·brac·es
v.tr.
1. To clasp or hold close with the arms, usually as an expression of affection.
2.
a. To surround; enclose: We allowed the warm water to embrace us.
b. To twine around: a trellis that was embraced by vines.
3. To include as part of something broader.
4. To take up willingly or eagerly: embrace a social cause.
5. To avail oneself of: “I only regret, in my chilled age, certain occasions and possibilities I didn’t embrace” Henry James.
v.intr.
To join in an embrace.
n.
1. An act of holding close with the arms, usually as an expression of affection; a hug.
2. An enclosure or encirclement: caught in the jungle’s embrace.
3. Eager acceptance
What do I mean?
This year I…
- Want to embrace the opportunities the past past year has brought and enjoy every minute of them while continuing to grow….my new position at CHF and my freelance publication work
- embrace creativity and new ideas, styles, techniques
- embrace my family and husband with the love and attention they deserve
- embrace friendships old and new
- embrace each moment with joy…no more sweating the small stuff
- and last but not least…embrace my relationship with God
And so…in turn, I’d like to challenge you. 
Pick a word for 2008 and over then next year…see how much it inspires you.
Cornish Heritage Farms Design Team Coordinator
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This is a powerful tool, and you have used it so well. Yours is eloquent and meaningful — easy to say, “ditto” ;^)*
I used to do this, but was simply aware of words that seemed to “float to the surface” throughout a given period of time.
“Grace” was a word that would sometimes come up, “Intentionally” was another. The periods would be much shorter than a year — but it would be interesting to do a visual dictionary or scrap each of these words and how they manifest throughout the year…
Thanks for the reminder of this. A Good Thing.
cheers! and thanks for all your inspiring work.
Great word, Julia! Best of luck embracing 2008!
Oh Julia, I LOVE your word and love the things you hope to embrace this year…my favorite being your desire to embrace your relationship with God…such a sweet and spiritual goal and I do hope you will reach, not only this goal, but all of your goals for this year. You are so awesome and a wonderful inspiration to me. Thank you, for being you and for sharing yourself with all of us! Hugs, Barb g
I love your word, Julia. Perfect!
Great post…and I love your word.