I usually don’t unveil my new OLW (One Little Word) until January 1st.  This year, I am making an exception.  I hope you’ll go along for the ride.  I picked my word a week, maybe two ago and it’s time to bring it out to consider.

What Is Grace?? My OLW for 2017 — GRACE.

In my mind, grace, and in a very Biblical sense is not giving me what I deserve and instead giving me exactly what I don’t.

Hebrews 4:16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

This year has been like none other.  I find that I say that most years, but this year is no different.  Life on the home front has been generally good. My husband continues to excel in his career and that’s awesome.  Daniel if finding in his adultness the need to gain direction and build his adult version of who he wants to be.  Me, well, I’ve had a great year with respect to my career and of course continue to love all things Aurora Central.

But I also learned some pretty tough lessons this year.

My expectations don’t match, at least always, match people around me that I live, work, or play with.  My expectations of myself, I’ve learned are sometimes just unreachable. And, I’ve learned that more than anything, I could really use to give more grace, to others, and just as importantly to myself.

My friend, and great business coach, Kim Eickhoff has recommended a couple of books that I’ve been neglectful in reading.  On Purpose.  The first is Letting Go, by David Hawkins and The Gifts of Imperfection, by Brene Brown.  Okay… so here’s why I’m not reading them.  To me, it’s coming to grip with life being imperfect and that letting go is the suckers way out.  And… I’ve only turned a half-dozen pages in either book.  So instead, I picked up Productivity Ninja, by Graham Alcott.  Isn’t that just so me?  I can productive my way out of anything.

Except. Grace.

So this year, 2017, my focus will be on accepting more easily and giving more freely, GRACE. I have no doubt it will be difficult, and I am guessing, I will fall short many times.  I hope I’ll learn to be more accepting of that.  I hope that as the year rolls along, I will too.  Be a bit gentler with myself.  I’m tough.  When I fall or fail, I tend to have a tough time rebounding.   When people around me fall short of what I think should happen, ouch, it’s hard.  I think it’s largely because I think settling for less, or “phoning it in” is a huge character flaw.  Of course that comes from my perspective and how I view someone else, or myself and it’s dangerous.

So my intention with OLW for 2017 is to look at an area in my life that could stand a little improvement and get to the work of making it better.

Maybe a touch of grace will help.