Just One Word
By Cathy Jameson
I never jumped on the bandwagon to make vision boards or do any sort of journaling. Those are creative avenues people have used to focus on their goals and dreams. To me, it seemed like extra work. I have enough work to do on a day-to-day basis trying to keep up with my kids. Don’t get me wrong, I do dream and I do have some great goals. I’ll talk about them and write them down, but I don’t have a separate book or wall space where I display those. I love that others have the time and creativity to keep up with those activities. I love that they will come up with new goals and dreams, oftentimes using January 1st as the day to set or restart something. When I read somewhere that some people choose a word to focus on when the New Year begins, I thought that might be more my speed.
Pick just one word?
That’s easy!
Tired. J
I don’t think the goal of that activity is to pick a word that drags you down, though. The word is meant to inspire throughout the year. Even though I can get super tired on some of our busiest days, I don’t need any visual reminders that I am. The goal of picking the word is meant to be something you strive to achieve. It’s supposed to be an inspiration and maybe a guide for you if you’ve fallen off a path you’d set out to travel. Picking just one word may be difficult, so some people have set up word generators on their websites that will randomly chose a word for you. Since I’ve never done this before, while the kids were all sleeping in on New Year’s Day I thought I’d give it a whirl.
Going with a Christian-based writer’s word generator, I liked what I saw.
Wondering how random these random-word generator things could be, I tried a different one. This time, the word was offered after I answered several questions. No question was too personal, but each of them did have me reflect on life. Life’s been…a lot. It’s been difficult. It’s been exhausting. But, it’s also been filled with blessings, extra family time, and some moments of peace. Another Christian-based website, I liked this word that was generated for me also!
How many times have I been empowered by our community of doers and believers? So many times! It’s because of you and your stories that have given me the voice to tell others our story.
Both of those word generators were really neat to use, but I wanted to see what a secular/non-Christian and truly totally random word generator would produce. I found this completely random webpage and thought that their word for me was good, too!
If there’s one word that describes what it is that I do for those whom I love, that word right there truly does describe it. I am devoted to my family. I am devoted to our community. I am devoted to living a life God has asked me to live, even if some of my life is overwhelming and exhausting.
More than just giving me a word to consider focusing on, I was able to reflect on some of the past during this activity. The past can be a dangerous place. Do I really want to linger there? I’ve shared that yes, sometimes to leap to the future, you need that past. To know what you don’t want in life now, you must know what didn’t work before. It’s a launching point. That’s where that Empowered word pick was so perfect: I am empowered by the past to do better now and in the future.
I’m the least arts and crafty person I know. I’m the last one to follow all the rules, and I’m also the best at procrastinating. This little activity was something I didn’t need to do (if you saw the piles of files on my desk, you’d absolutely agree), but I did need a little inspiration as I tippy toed into the New Year and found it.
If you’ve never done this sort of activity and have a few minutes to yourself today, I’d suggest you try it. If you need more than just one word, you’re in luck. I even saw a phrase generator.
How very 2021!
If you don’t want to use the internet, you don’t have to. People pick their own word, or they pray or meditate on a word using it as their theme for the year. If a year is too long of a time to keep that one word in mind, try focusing on your word or phrase for just a day. If a day is too much, which is can be for me sometimes, go hour-by-hour. One day at a time and with one foot in front of the other, I’m praying for success for each of us as we embark on the year ahead.
Cathy Jameson is a Contributing Editor for Age of Autism.
If you’ve picked a word or phrase and you’d like to share it, leave a message in the comments below. I’d love to see what’ll inspire you in 2022!
@Bennedetta
Yes, stress is the biggest enemy for caretakers. I constantly clenched my teeth for years. We live in the fight or flight syndrome daily. Jesus delivered me. Otherwise, I would not have made it. Now I am caring for my 96 year old mother who has Alzeimer's (too many flu shots). Thankfully, I have help.
Posted by: Emmaphiladelphia | January 03, 2022 at 09:26 PM
IN 2030 YOU WILL STILL BE DOING COVID ZOOM MEETINGS
And you will be happy!
Pentatonix - Winter Wonderland / Don't Worry Be Happy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1nQpoAvTSg
Posted by: Emmaphiladelphia | January 03, 2022 at 08:49 PM
Well thank you Emma and Hera for your concern. You two are very kind
Don't worry or fret cause:
I did see the doctor, I see one on my every six months - thyroid disease. We spoke of it. It has not happened but twice and not close together - it is stress. He said if it was the heart it would be very regular, happening again and again.
I only shared so you that leads stressful lives too - will be aware.
So you all keep that in mind; I sure am.
So far so good.
Posted by: Benedetta | January 03, 2022 at 08:03 PM
Hi Benedetta,
I am so sorry for what you are going through. Please go and see a doctor. As Emma says, if it is a heart condition, you need to know and treat it. You are a very important person; important to your family, and an important voice here. We would miss you terribly. Also, please find some happiness or joy for your life; even if it is just a cup of coffee with someone you love, or feeding the birds outside.
They say it is darkest before the dawn, and even now, there are beginning to be signs of changes. Things can get better, and I believe they will.
Posted by: Hera | January 03, 2022 at 06:48 PM
@Bennedetta
I will pray for you. If you could go see your regular doctor, they could get you in to see a cardiologist. My spouse is on heart meds. My sister's father-in -law suffered a heart attack in his sixties. With treatment, he lived an active life until he died at the age of 99. It is important to take time to care for yourself.
Posted by: Emmaphiladelphia | January 03, 2022 at 10:37 AM
I never made a board of goals,
Or used a word or phrase.
I did use to make lists.
I made them in my head at first.
Then I actually wrote them down.
The list got longer, the ER visits got more, the study of "Food be your Medicine" is never ending, the study of which supplements, is never ending. From my parents' house, to the car, to my house is a big unorganized mess. Darn, I even lost the keys to my Mother's van after Christmas.
Did you know that stress can come off as a heart attack?
Yeah, jaws hurt, right down to the neck, chest hurts, one arm hurts, stomach queasy. I would have gone to the hospital except I am so sick of the ER; I just rather die than go for myself. So I laid down and it finally went away. It happened twice -- between to long periods of time.
I think lists makes you stressed. I no longer make lists. Setting goals - I don't know, I guess you have to set goals but they are so disappointing when they can't be reached. That too causes stress..
Posted by: benedetta | January 03, 2022 at 12:41 AM
Angus Files, that person in the article you posted has a lot of room in the psychiatric facility and privileges for a criminal insane/ criminally retarded person that is "incarcerated". The person in the article should be lucky he is not in Porterville or Atascadero in California. These places I mentioned are designed to house criminally insane or criminally retarded people and though while much better than state prison is not as nice as the facility in the UK's Daily Mail article,
Posted by: Bill | January 02, 2022 at 10:26 PM
GO BIG!
Loved your post Cathy!
Instead of just one word, I decided to use an acrostic poem generator:
E is for Enchanting, most alluring
M is for Meticulous, careful with details
M is for Magical, you make the impossible happen
A is for Authenticity, with which you lead life
P is for Popular, liked by all
H is for Heroic, noble and self-sacrificing
I is for Inspirational, the ability to motivate
L is for Light-hearted, free from worries
A is for Able, succeeding in all you set out to do
D is for Daring, succeeding in things others fear to try
E is for Elegant, so graceful
L is for Learned, mastery of knowledge
P is for Peaceful, exuding a gentle calm
H is for Humble, never putting on airs
I is for Intelligent, a brilliant mind
A is for Alluring, so attractive
https://www.acrosticpoem.org/
This is great if you need an ego boost. LOL!
Posted by: Emmaphiladelphia | January 02, 2022 at 04:58 PM
I think this mothers one word is help!
'Worse than PRISON': Mother slams treatment of autistic son, 24, who has been kept in a 423sq ft 'box' behind file room at a psychiatric unit with his meals passed through hatch
Mother slams treatment of her autistic son admitted to a psychiatric hospital
24-year-old - known as Patient A - spends most time alone in 423 sq ft apartment
His mother, Nicola, 50, said her son has 'become completely institutionalised'
Patient A has been detained under the Mental Health Act since September 2017
Do YOU know someone who is in a similar situation? Please email kaya.terry@mailonline.co.uk
A total of 2,040 people with learning disabilities and/or autism were in the hospitals at the end of August, according to NHS Digital figures.
Of those, 1,145 - 56 per cent - had been in hospital for a total of more than two years.
The average cost to the tax payer of keeping a person detained in hospital is thought to be £3,563 per week or £185,276 per year.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10362239/Mother-slams-treatment-autistic-son-24-kept-four-years-423sq-ft-box.html
Pharma For Prison
MMR RIP
Posted by: Angus Files | January 02, 2022 at 03:34 PM
Happy New Year! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!
Posted by: Bill | January 02, 2022 at 10:42 AM