On her blog, Grit and Glory, Alece Ronzio asked readers to choose a symbolic word for 2011. Being a wordsmith of sorts, a dozen words came to mind—discover, captivate, beauty, connect, embrace—but they all seemed like catchy little buzz words that didn’t quite capture how I felt.
If I am truly honest, words like fear, struggle, survive, stress more accurately describe my condition. A new year is a new opportunity for birth, but also for death.
What started out as a fun exercise has become troubling….what is my word? How can I be positive, yet still acknowledge my struggles?
I suppose I could simply be numb. Numb. Self-preservative. Closed.
After much consideration, I decided my word is “live.” I will live as someone who loves God, desires to honor Him, and not be given over to a spirit of fear. No longer will I cower in the shadows of existence wondering what I could do or what I could be, I will go for it. I choose life; I choose to live.
For someone who struggles with going out her front door, who would rather interact with books than people, who feels so deeply, living in the moment is a challenge. Life itself seems like a never-ending chore. Instead of retreating into myself, I choose to live—to live out loud.
What is your word? Join the One Word 2011 online at Grit and Glory and follow the hashtag #OneWord2011 on Twitter.
She is Beloved 
i can feel the weight of your word choice… and all that your commitment to focus on it will hold. it is no small thing, my friend. LIVE. that feels like a huge hurdle for my heart some days too. looking forward to watching the ways this plays out for you this year, amy.