Today’s reverb10 prompt:
One Word.
Encapsulate the year 2010 in one word. Explain why you’re choosing that word. Now, imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2011 for you?
One word for 2010: change
This year involved lots of changes — some of them self-chosen, others that just showed up in my life due to external circumstances. Change manifested in obvious kinds of ways (this year I became really familiar with airplanes, rental cars, moving trucks, and storage units) that often meant putting other things aside to just cope with what was at hand. I also made some changes deliberately: seeking out new knowledge and new opportunities. All of these changes, as complicated as some of them were, ultimately have brought me to a really good place at year’s end. I am grateful for all the many blessings in my life and I’ve embarked on some exciting new projects.
One word for 2011: grow
When I first read the prompt earlier this morning, these were the two words that immediately came to mind. So I’ve been thinking about what distinguishes them, since I often think of change and growth as linked, even almost synonymous in thinking about personal development. But what I’ve realized is that change (as it applies to 2010, at least) signifies clear moments, limited periods of time, or decisions. Change is measurable, contained, something I can look back on the year and clearly identify.
What I’m hoping to manifest in 2011 is growth, which includes the idea of change, but within a gradual process. Growth (of a plant, of a puppy, of my hair) often seems smooth, almost imperceptible in the day to day, but then all of a sudden you look in the mirror and think “hey, I really need a haircut right now.” But even more importantly, the form of the word that occurred to me was grow — the verb, not the noun. Change can be a noun or a verb, but as I think about the changes of 2010, they come to mind as nouns. I’m looking to move into the realm of the verb in the year ahead: movement, action, development, day by day.