One Little Word

You might have noticed the badge on the left side of my blog titled One Little Word and perhaps wonder what that's all about. I came across a reference to the One Little Word project at the end of December while reading one of the many blogs that I follow. Upon reading just a little bit about the project, I signed up immediately. One Little Word is an ongoing virtual class offered by Big Picture Classes and it's taught by the amazing Ali Edwards.

Here is an overview of the class, taken from the website:

The objective of the class is to select one word that sums up what you want for yourself in 2011. It can be something tangible or intangible - perhaps a thought, feeling or emotion. It can be singular or plural. The most important thing to consider when choosing a word is to make sure that it has personal meaning for you. This is not your mother's word or your spouse's word or your child's word - this is YOUR word. Each month you'll receive an email and an invitation to visit the One Little Word classroom. Inside the classroom, you'll find instructions for a simple creative project to complete related to your word. At the end of the year you'll have an album that celebrates and honors your word - making it that much more concrete and visible in your life.

Some other wonderful things to note about this class are:

• Register anytime during the year


• Access a community building message board for sharing thoughts on your word


• Upload photos of your word-related projects to a gallery to share with other participants

It didn't take me too long to choose my word for 2011 - WONDER. It just popped into my mind after I registered for the class. I am still pondering exactly why I chose this particular word, and I believe that I'll gain more insight as I continue to work on the monthly creative prompts. I am including some photos in this blog post that highlight my creative project related to my word for the month of January.

I am very excited about this class. As some of you know, I have decks of cards with individual words on them at home and at my office. Each morning I take a moment to shuffle through the cards and choose a word to reflect upon throughout the day. It's amazing how one, single word can have an impact on me and influence my day, usually in a very positive way.

Because I have chosen the word wonder for the One Little Word project this year, I am paying particularly close attention to how it influences my daily life. Last weekend I happened to grab my camera before heading out the door to walk what I call the "neighborhood loop." I usually walk this loop about two or three times per week, so I am very familiar with the scenery. However, I found that by having my camera with me and being mindful about looking for things to photograph that I saw things I wouldn't normally have noticed. I felt a sense of wonder as I completed my walk because something that is usually so routine, turned out to be very enlightening. I arrived home with some wonderful photos, which I will include in future blog entry.

As always, I am wrapping up this entry with a quote, however it's in the form of a photograph this time!