My One Little Word for 2019: Let's add some joy to the mix!

This will be the sixth year I've taken on One Little Word, and it's a practice I share with many people in my life, including the team of Two Writing Teachers. This year, instead of having each of us share our words through the TWT website, Betsy Hubbard has linked all of our words on one post.

I'm not sure why, but this year I've had the hardest time deciding on my One Little Word for 2019. Maybe it's because I really like the ones I've chosen in previous years. Maybe it's because I'm looking out at 2019 and already thinking that there's going to be a lot going on in the next twelve months. Maybe it's because I'm putting too much pressure on just one word. Maybe I just need to lighten up.

One thing I've learned over the years of taking on one guiding word is that the words build on each other, especially when I've liked them. (My word for 2016 was a bit of a dud.) What I'm noticing as I study my five year collection is that I need some joy in the mix. Therefore my One Little Word for 2019 will be joy. There's a whole lot to be said for finding the daily happiness in our lives, and I'm looking forward to living with a word that encourages me to do that!

I have a couple of concerns with joy, as my best words over the years have had multiple meanings and could be used as more than one part of speech. Joy is a noun, and it really doesn't have another function. That being said, I just might make it into a verb for myself now and then in 2019. Watch out for that. Additionally, when I shared my word with one of my best friends, she pointed out the difference between joy and content. Sometimes joy can be interpreted as more euphoric or shorter-lived than how we might think about contentedness. I imagine that my joy for 2019 will be more along the contentedness spectrum. I want to be sure to find joy not only in the big things, but also in the daily routines and practices of my life, from the evolving coffee samplings in the mornings to the pillow that is just the right softness at night.

Happy 2019 to everyone!