New Year, New Word

2023 will be my fourth year of having a One Little Word. Unlike the three previous years, this year's word did not announce itself clearly. I weighed several words as 2022 came to a close, and I'm not entirely sure if I chose the best of the contenders, but as we are starting the second week of the new year, it's time to go with one.

Before I share my word, I want to share a story that I think will explain why I ultimately settled on it. Those of you who know me know that I like having a routine, that I don't like taking risks, that I am a rule follower, and so forth. I tend toward worrying and being anxious, so I like knowing what to expect. I've been known to turn down last-minute opportunities because I find the disruption unsettling and worry I will regret saying yes. But occasionally I will say yes. That was the case in the fall of my senior year in high school. I remember vividly being in the art studio (I was the only person in the AP Studio Art class, so I spent a lot of time there) when a couple of other students came to find me. That day, the members of the World Affairs Club were headed to a hotel downtown to hear His Holiness the Dalai Lama speak. One of the members had fallen ill and was absent from school that day, so there was an extra ticket available. The school administrators decided that the fairest way to determine who would be offered the extra ticket was to put the names of all the other students in a pot and pull one -- and my name had been picked. I hesitated at first, because going on this trip would mean missing several classes, and the conscientious student in me was concerned about that. But the other students in the art studio at the time were commenting on how amazing it was to have the opportunity and how lucky I was to have been picked. And I realized that this really was a once-in-a-lifetime chance -- how many people can ever say they've been in the same room as the Dalai Lama? So I said yes. And it was incredible. I was even just a couple of feet away from him as he left the hotel ballroom after his address, and to this day, I don't remember anything about making up the work I missed, only what an extraordinary experience that was. And it was one I would have missed if I didn't avail myself of the opportunity.

What's that old saying about how we miss all the chances we don't take? That's very much on my mind right now. I'm not saying I'm ready to take big risks, but I do want to be more open to the opportunities that present themselves in my life. With that in mind, my One Little Word for 2023 is:

I'm looking forward to seeing where this word takes me over the next twelve months!