One Word, One Year: 2019

After a week and so of trying to balance homeschooling, taking care of a toddler and managing the household while being down with flu, I realized how my one word last year still has its effect on me. Well, it doesn't really apply to my general mood (malalaos ang mga nagro-road rage sa akin haha) but it was when I'm calm that Sophia better understands a Math problem, Sammy loves it when I'm calm and being calm is the best way to keep a hardworking helper. So yes, choosing a word to work on your life definitely gives good results. Hence, still doing it this year.

I've been choosing one word every new year for five years already, except in 2015 when my goal then was to rebrand (from a hot pink Bebengisms to a quieter, cleaner Royal Domesticity) and my process has never changed. I still pray before I finally decide on what to put here. One Word, One Year may just be a blogging trend but for me, it's all spiritual. I always seek for what the Lord sees in my heart. I got stuck for a few days thinking of what word to choose but after I prayed, I knew what it's going to be. 

In 2014, I chose faith.

In 2016, I chose purpose.

In 2017, I chose humility.

In 2018, I chose calm.

And for 2019, I choose GRATITUDE.

One Word, One Year: 2018

I was not into this whole idea when this year started. For apparent reasons, the ordeal of having a clingy newborn baby makes me want to ignore the things I regularly do to nurture my soul. Also, I didn't feel like having just a word rule my year. "Who knows what the future holds" was kind of my mantra since the arrival of our new baby, Samantha a month ago. Savoring the moment, yes?

But when I saw my post about my 2017 one word, I realized how it truly helped me live the year. It served as my guide. Won't go into all the gory details, though. Let me just say that I now have more than 80% humility than I had in 2016. Getting wiser as the years go by, I suppose. So even if I didn't feel like doing this, my past one word post motivated me to do it again in the hopes that the word will reflect the life that I want to live.

One Word, One Year: 2017

I have shared in this post how 2016 was like for our small family. Thinking about the massive amount of merriment and mayhem that happened then, my one word last year pretty described how the previous events took place. Whenever I have to make a decision - be it great or minor - I have always gone back to my whys, my purpose. And for that, I was so glad I chose that word no matter how common it is, no matter how related it is to Justin Bieber, lol. 

For this year, it took me a few words before I arrived to one. I thought of "now", "kindness", "focus" and "accept". All these have strong impact to me as 2017 began. It was only when my husband finally left home to go back to work that I realized what I would love my one word to be. 

And that is, HUMILITY.

One Word, One Year: 2016

For the younger millennials, my word for this year is nothing but a song and an album title. I looked it up in the Internet to see if the song is good and was glad to find out that I felt like it is a song for God. You must go to Youtube and watch a lyric video. Tell me if you also felt that it is for the Big Guy. Type in: Purpose by Justin Bieber.

Yes, my word for 2016 is PURPOSE.

I thought of a few before finally deciding. I thought of give. To be selfless is saintly. Maybe I can challenge myself to give more of my time, effort, resources, gifts and love to the people who need it. I also thought of move. To refuse to be idle is divine. Not doing nothing can perhaps lead me to success. But as days went by, I felt like it has not penetrated my core. There were days that I want to spend it lounging on the sofa, tinkering on my phone, seeing the sink full of dirty dishes while waiting for my daughter to come home.from school. There were days when I said no to people who asked something from me. My daughter asked me to play with her but I was swamped with work, online and kitchen, I said no. I was invited to an event of a brand that I don't like, I said no.

It resonated with me that these words do not make sense at all. At least to how I want to live my life. You see, it looked like I was only tinkering on my phone but I was actually working for my business. I was promoting my products on my social media accounts. I was answering inquiries of customers. I was replying to emails of potential distributors. I only looked like a bad mom for saying no to my daughter's request of playing with her in her room but I was just really finishing my work in one go so I can spend quality time with her over dinner, evening telenovelas and bedtime stories.

Purpose popped in my head as I plopped my half-dead body on bed after a day of online work, cooking for the business and mothering. I reminded myself, like how a coach does it to his team, on why I was doing all those things in the first place. Despite my sleepiness, I thought of my short and long term goals that I need to work on. I thought of my mom's retirement, my husband's career growth, my daughter's future, my health, our dream home and what I will cook for dinner the next day. I thought that I should just do, buy, create things if its purpose is love. So saying no to an event of a brand I don't like is actually a great thing! Had I went there for freebies, small talks (which I actually do not like lately) with fellow bloggers I do not read blogs of or for a material for the blog, I am sure I won't even be writing about it. Plainly because it didn't bring me joy. Hellen Keller said, "Joy is the holy fire that keeps our purpose warm and our intelligence aglow." And I couldn't agree more. 

This word can play around in all the aspects of my life as human, woman, wife, mom, freelancer, entrepreneur, blogger, etcetera.

So far, this word is a good word for me. I just wrote a post here because of it. Nice, right? If you have, what's that one word would you choose for 2016?

One Word, One Year: 2014

The past year, though I jokingly said was random, was actually full of blessings. I felt that we were happier and more comfortable compared to 2012 (i.e., I quit my job, Sophia had pneumonia, I underwent a major medical operation, the little girl had skin bacterial infection, R and I were fighting one day after another, etcetera, etcetera). Our road to 2013 was more peaceful. Of course, there were a few bumps, detours and sometimes stop-overs but I guess we have learned to deal with it gracefully. I have learned to choose my battles; in marriage and motherhood. That's what matters most, right? Challenges become problems because of how we see it. Problems become tragedies when we lose faith.

For 2014, I choose FAITH to be my one word - for this blog and my life.

I hope to have more faith in myself as a woman, wife, mom, daughter, sister, friend and yes, blogger. I hope to have more faith in my writing, cooking and baking skills; that I may use these to live my dreams. I hope to have more faith in my husband despite the physical distance. I hope to have more faith in my daughter's ability to be the best that she can be. I hope to have more faith in my mothering skills; that I can raise a child of God. I hope to have a strong faith that one day my siblings and I, along with our children and spouses, will treat our mom to a grandiose vacation. I hope to have faith in my friends despite our busy schedules. I hope to have faith in this blog; that it will reach a thousand or more women to live a faithful life. When tragedies and failures happen, we sometimes forget that there is God who actually did not want to let us see it that way. Therefore, I hope to have more faith in Him; in Him who will give the desires of my heart, in His time.

If there will be days when I tend to be faithless, I'd be happy to be shaken from that dreariness. Tweet or message me! That's my word, what's yours? 

*photo source: forcoloredgurls.com