Thursday, January 9, 2020

2020 "Word of the Year" {& GIVEAWAY}

A few months back (wowser, I can't believe this conversation started in October and it's already January... where does the time go?!), my contact at MudLOVE asked if I wanted to team up with them for a collaboration. Every year they encourage their employees and fans to choose a word or phrase as a tool for living an intentional year. They were hoping I'd join the campaign and obviously I was all in! (There isn't much MudLOVE could ask I'd turn down - THEY ROCK MY SOCKS!)


To be honest, I normally try to sit down and set out goals for the upcoming year (as opposed to resolutions, which feel like they're meant to be broken), but I've never really picked a single word or phrase to encapsulate my intentions for the upcoming year. This led to quite a bit of soul searching and I was excited to get the wheels turning. #RealTalk: You'd think picking a word would be easy, but I found the task rather strenuous and a bit stressful (I doubt it was meant to be demanding, but I wanted to really find a word to capture my purpose/ aspirations, not just throw out a phrase willy-nilly).

Source

After a few weeks of deliberations (I had to get my choice to them by the end of October so they would have time to make the custom band before the craziness of the holiday season began and I literally sent my info over on the very last day because I was still going back and forth on which word/ phrase I wanted to use), I finally decided.

Source

"be kind"

I believe this phrase truly encapsulates everything that I am planning to work for in 2020. And, for me, it is three-fold.



First, I want to be kind to myself. I am often my harshest critic (aren't we all?!) and really want to take this upcoming year and work on being nicer to myself (although, let's be real, I am sure this is going to be a lifelong goal). If I wouldn't say something to a friend, I shouldn't say it about myself. I often always seem to demand perfection from myself, but that's not realistic or feasible in every situation... and when I come up less than perfect I need to acknowledge the shortcoming, see if there is something I can fix and then adjust accordingly. I don't need to beat myself up for hours days weeks upon end over mistakes (whether they be tiny or huge). We are all imperfect - I am willing to acknowledge that in others yet demand an impossible level of perfection from myself. I need to learn to give myself grace, to do my best and then to move on.


Next, I want to be kind to others. I do my darnedest to try and put others first, but this year I want to be deliberate about it. I want to be kind to others for the simple reason that they are God's workmanship. Obviously I hope my intentions are never selfish, but who knows if deep down I am actually doing something good because I hope one day they will return the favor or because I want to be known for my kindness. I want to be kind to others whether it is acknowledged or not. I want to put others first and show them love whether I think they deserve it or not. #BeKindOrBeQuiet


Finally, I want to be kind to the environment. Don't get me wrong, the hubby and I pride ourselves on being tree huggers, but again, I want to be conscious about this. I haven't worked out exactly what this will look like - whether it will be a monthly clean-up effort, donating to conservancy charities, getting involved with an environmental group, etc - but I know I want to make it a focus. We only have one place to live, we need to protect it. God has entrusted us with his creation and we need to do our part to take care of it! And, I promise, every effort (no matter big or small) matters!


I am so excited to be reminded of my intention on a daily basis because of my MudLOVE custom band. Did you know that they now offer a turquoise or coral color glaze as well as the traditional brown?! Of course I had to try one of the new colors on my 2020 band. Not only do I love the premise of the campaign (and the new glaze option), but I love what MudLOVE does on a daily basis as well! In case you aren't familiar with their work, every one of their handcrafted products that they sell provides one week of clean water to someone in the Central African Republic. AMAZEBALLS!


And now, what you've all been waiting for, a chance to win your very own custom band! Entering this giveaway is easy-peasy! Simply use the Rafflecopter widget below and cross your fingers. Some entries are available daily so I'd HIGHLY recommend entering early and often (and coming back every day until the giveaway ends). Beast of luck to you!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
This giveaway will run through Monday, January 13th at 11:59pm PST. The winner will be contacted on Tuesday, January 14th via the email address on their Rafflecopter account and has 24 hours to claim their prize (make sure your information is up-to-date and you check your email regularly). US Residents only. All entries are verified, so do whatever the required action for the entry is or it will be disqualified. I'd hate for you to miss out due to a technicality, so if you're going to click the option, make sure you do whatever it asks or a new, random winner will be selected in your place. Best of luck!

PS Even if you don't win the giveaway, you're still a winner because MudLOVE's Word of the Year campaign features custom bracelets for $12 ($4 off!). This sale will run for the entire month of January. Whether you're making custom bands as a way to 'treat yo-self', as a group gift for your runner girl gang or stocking up for future presents, don't miss this sale!

What is your word of the year?

3 comments:

erindegroff said...

Authentic...I want to surround myself with authentic people and experiences. I also want to strive to be t he most authentic person I can be.

Daniell said...

Persistent-to continue to push through whatever life throws at me :)

BarkingMadRun said...

My word for 2020 is Journey. I always focus on endgames and this year I want to focus on what it takes the get there! Doing all The things and having all the fun!