My one word for 2016

 

What’s your ‘one word’ for 2016? If you haven’t come across One Word 365 yet, it’s a fun alternative to New Year Resolutions. Instead of a long list, you just choose one word that will shape your year.
Observant readers of this blog will notice that I didn’t write about my one word for 2015 – and in my newsletter I wrote about why this was. (Subscribe to find out!)

This year, my word of the year is ‘anchored’. One of my friends shared with me a mental image of me as a boat in still, calm water, and for some unknown reason I burst into tears when she said it. I’m still trying to discover exactly why I reacted so emotionally, but I feel an affinity with this word.

To be anchored is to be tethered. I spent much of last year trying to pretend that I wasn’t tethered by my illness, and by the end of the year, I could feel the rope straining and digging into my skin. Whether I like it or not, I have limitations, though my tendency is to try to forget them. There is an important balance here: if you dwell on the limitations of chronic illness too long, you may grow despondent. If you ignore the limitations, you risk worsening your health and crashing when you do too much. For me, I constantly need to remind myself of my limitations, so that when I look at my ever-growing ‘to do’ list I remember that I am not God, and cannot do all things. It is a discipline to select, prioritise, guard my time when I would rather just say ‘yes’ to everything. Every ‘no’ feels like a loss.

To be tethered sounds like a negative thing, and yet I love looking at boats anchored in harbours. They look so peaceful, and the surroundings are so beautiful. I want to stay with this image this year, reminding myself that even a boat that doesn’t go anywhere can still enjoy a good view.

In the Bible, excluding the uses of the word in literal boats, the word ‘anchor’ appears just once, in Hebrews 6:19. It talks about the hope of a future with Christ as an anchor for the soul, something you can cling to. I love the thought of God’s promises as an anchor for the soul, holding you steady.

Over to you: 

  • Do you have a ‘one word’ for 2016? What is it?
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43 Responses to My one word for 2016

  1. Stephanie 6th January, 2016 at 8:30 pm #

    I love your word, Tanya, and the meaning behind it.

    My word is Gratitude. Not the old kind of gratitude that came from denial and trying desperately to be a ‘good’ Christian by saying and doing all the ‘right’ things. In recent years I’ve learned it is not wrong to struggle with chronic illness, that grief and anger and loss is part of the package of suffering and that God wants those parts of me, too – but I feel an undeniable pull towards a deeper and healthier form of gratitude in the midst of it.

    • Tanya 24th February, 2016 at 12:17 pm #

      So sorry for my delay in replying. I absolutely love your distinction between unhealthy and healthy gratitude. I think gratitude can so quickly become a guilt trip or abject denial of reality – but it’s so much more authentic and precious to find gratitude for those things you can still be grateful for. I still keep up my ‘three good things’ exercise each day, though I write it in a book now instead of online. I find it really useful. It forces me to focus on the little details of life. Let me know how you get on this year!

      • Stephanie 25th February, 2016 at 7:46 pm #

        Yes, “denial of reality”. My sister lives overseas and for a year I’d been too sick to see her when she was here. This January, I was up to a 30 min. visit and it was wonderful, but it went devastatingly fast. Instead of gratitude, I was filled with intense anger and grief. It took a month of trying to stamp those feelings down before I could admit it. One of the things that finally got through was reading “God cannot meet us in a pain denied” (“Invisible Illness, Visible God”). That was exactly it. I can’t say I feel gratitude yet, but there is much relief in being honest and trusting God with the process.

        I love that you keep a daily gratitude journal. Was it difficult at first or did it feel natural from the start?

        Please don’t worry about replying right away or even at all. Truly.

  2. Tricia 6th January, 2016 at 6:29 pm #

    Hi Tanya,

    A very “sensible” word. We all need to anchor ourselves in Christ.
    I hope that you are able to do as you plan and make sure that your pace is right for you – not too much or too little.

    I’m cheating as I have 4 Words – not just for this year though:
    Trust, Wait, Rest, and Work. I have blogged about this here, https://triciafrasman.wordpress.com/2015/12/31/hope

    • Tanya 24th February, 2016 at 12:15 pm #

      So sorry for my delay in replying. I love that you cheat and have 4 words! ‘trust, wait and rest’ are all words I find challenging! It’s a good challenge!

      • Tricia 24th February, 2016 at 4:58 pm #

        ?

        • Tricia 24th February, 2016 at 4:59 pm #

          … that was supposed to be a winking face – got lost in translation!

  3. Shoshana 6th January, 2016 at 1:02 pm #

    I chose a word for 2016, ‘Treasure’, as I need to find treasure in this darkness.
    https://cityborgontheprairie.wordpress.com/2016/01/03/whatever-is-good/

    • Tanya 24th February, 2016 at 12:14 pm #

      So sorry for my delay in replying. Treasure is such a lovely word to hold for this year. I hope you find some

  4. Janice 5th January, 2016 at 4:30 pm #

    Tanya, I like your word. I never end up picking a word. I stress about it for a while (Ok, I stress about it whenever i read something like this and I think, “Oh, what a great word! I need to pick one! I need to shape my year! I need to be intentional”) then I forget all about it until the next post.

    Which leads me to the question, should I push myself to pick one ore is it something that just doesn’t click with me, which is why it doesn’t stay important enough in my mind for me to actually do it? I have no idea which, but as of now, I have no word.

    I do feel like I need to focus on not being so distracted this year. Being more present wherever I am, not distracted by technology or worries or whatever, just present. So I could do Present. Hmm, maybe.

    Honestly, the real issue for me is I’m way too wordy to pick just one.

    Lovely post, by the way! And Happy New Year!

    • Tanya 24th February, 2016 at 12:14 pm #

      So sorry for my delay in replying. How’s the word-hunt coming on? Oh, and I feel your pain about only picking one word. When there are so many. Why not pick a paragraph?? no one says you have to stick to the rules…

  5. Mark Allman 4th January, 2016 at 9:59 pm #

    Tanya,
    To be anchored is a good thing. For a boat it allows it to stay near resources it needs, or to be ready and waiting to be used when needed. To be anchored also is a time to make repairs or modifications or to just rest. There is work that can only be done while anchored. Likewise we need to be anchored in this life. Anchored to that which we know will allow us to rest, allow us to make repairs to our soul, to recharge and also a place to find comfort. With Christ we never have to weight anchor. We can make our journey all the while being anchored to our Lord.

    • Tanya 24th February, 2016 at 12:13 pm #

      So sorry for my delay in replying. Mark, i love these other aspects of being anchored! Thank you, I will chew over them. You’re a star!

  6. Elizabeth 4th January, 2016 at 12:57 am #

    I resonate with both the pain and beauty of being teathered. Thank you for the image of anchoring, Tanya.

    My one word for 2016 is OPEN. I don’t know quite how it will play out, but I have a feeling it has to do with opening both my mouth and my gifts, spiritual and natural, so that I can be a conduit of healing.

    All the while leaning into God’s timing, and listening for when it is time to be active and when it is time to rest.

    • Tanya 24th February, 2016 at 12:12 pm #

      So sorry for my delay in replying. ‘the pain and beauty of being tethered’ – yes. Open feels like such an exciting word! I’m really excited by the thought of you opening up your mouth and gifts and being a conduit of healing. Sending you many hugs

  7. Nic 3rd January, 2016 at 11:29 pm #

    Linger

    • Tanya 24th February, 2016 at 12:11 pm #

      So sorry for my delay in replying. Thanks so much for sharing your one word!

  8. Calm Eyes 3rd January, 2016 at 10:22 pm #

    Another beautiful post, Tanya. You do write beautifully!

    My word for 2016 would be “thankful”. We had an awful 2015: our (then) 10-year-old son started that year on an exclusively liquid modulen diet, while we tried to get his newly diagnosed Crohn’s Disease and Juvenile Arthritis under control and he missed all his secondary school entrance exams; on 15th April I was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer and put straight into chemo; on 11th June my first cousin died of secondary breast cancer leaving behind her husband and 3 young children; in the autumn my brother was diagnosed with ME; in the winter my aunt was diagnosed with leukaemia and lymphoma; then on 23rd December, my husband lost his job.

    But there is so much to be thankful for: the love and support of family and friends, the wonderful medics who have treated myself and my son, the fact that my chemo has successfully zapped my cancer and that my son’s diseases are also under control with medication, the dear friend I made during my chemo and Herceptin treatment (“my silver lining” as I call her, or just plain “Silver”, now that both of us seem to have our hair growing back grey!) and the kindness and good humour of my highly resilient husband and children. God has been there for us and made his presence known to us throughout this rough year.

    We have started 2016 surrounded by the warmth and generosity of good friends. It has been a good start. Whatever 2016 brings, I am determined to focus on the huge amount I have to be thankful for!

    • Tanya 24th February, 2016 at 12:11 pm #

      So sorry for my delay in replying. I was so humbled and moved by this post. Your catalogue of suffering from just last year was incredible. I’m so sorry. And I am deeply respectful of your approach and your attitude, to dig deep for the gold in it all. Praying that 2016 is more of an oasis for you all

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