Before the day gets past us we just want to wish everyone a Happy New Year and wish all our family and friends the very best in 2012

Kelly, John and the 20 Paws

I have been visiting a particular message board for several years now.  It’s a online gathering place, mostly for women, who talk about everyday things. Sometimes the posts are really interesting, some are so funny you find yourself doubled over in laughter while sometimes heated discussions start over the silliest things, and of course there are the posts that are not worth the time it took to double click the title but one of the latest postings has had a ton of replies and really made me think and that thread is all about the “One Little Word” for 2012 concept.

What OLW (of course they created an acronym) means is that you sit down and relfect on the past year and your future year and then you pick only one word that is meant to sum up your goal(s), attitude or wishes for 2012.  The reasoning behind this is that as you go through your everyday life the thought of that one little word can hopefully bring you back into focus and a place of contentment and peace.

Many are choosing the normal words like family, money, fitness, health, etc.  while others are digging deeper and really coming up with some great words and reasons behind them. Some posters believe that you should keep your OLW to yourself, while others think you should put it out there, in your face as a daily reminder such as posting the word where you see it each day, telling your spouse and friends about it and the reasons so that when you stray they are there to to keep you straight.  There is no right or wrong but it is important that your OLW is for you, not for anyone else and as you pick that word it really helps to remember that.

So with all that said I have really spent some time reflecting on 2011 and what was good and not so good about it and the one thing I kept coming back to was how much negativity there has been within me. I seem to have gotten pretty cynical and angry this past year and I am not sure exactly why.  That is so not like me and my personality. I haven’t been as happy and pleased with myself, those around me and my environment these past 12 months as I should have been.  I have let little things really get me down and upset.  I think I have spent more of 2011 pissed off and depressed than happy and as for no real good reason.  I have lots and lots to be happy about.

I was really shaken to realize how I spent a good part of 2011 internally and I know I need to make a change!  That realization made my picking my 2012 One Little Word easy.  It will be Cleanse.  It’s time to focus more on the positives within myself, others and the situations around me and clean out all the negative that surrounds me. It’s time to bring myself back to a clean, positive, focused world! By doing that I think I can go back to being that happy, go lucky person I was not so long ago.

So that is it for me now it is your turn.. One Little Word, what will it be for you in 2012?