2009 Word-of-the-Year: ABUNDANCE

Note: December is Word-of-the-Year Month at Christine’s Blog. As we roll into another New Year, each day will feature a new guest author who chose one word as a way of setting intention for her whole year. Today’s guest is Glad Doggett. More about Glad below.

The day I found Christine Kane’s website, I was in the midst of a deep funk, jobless, and completely lost. It was a dark place and I hope to never visit it again.

Finding Christine’s site and the wisdom there was like being lost in a cave and finally finding a flashlight. It helped me see things differently and gave me the confidence to find my way out of the darkness.

I don’t remember how I got there, but the day I stumbled on her site I devoured every morsel of advice I could find. I was like a starving person enjoying a long awaited meal. I didn’t realize that I was looking for guidance until I found it on her website.

On that first day, I wasn’t ready yet for huge leaps and big transformations. I could barely get out of bed. But, one of her suggestions made an impression on me. I found it in the article about choosing one word for the New Year, instead of making a list of resolutions that disappears by February.

“One word,” I said. “Surely, even I can handle one word.”

That day, I chose the word Abundance. At the time, it was perfect for so many reasons. I was stuck in a rut and all I could see was what my life lacked.

I unexpectedly left a job I hated, and we became a one-income family. I had no job prospects, and this lead to us having to deplete our life’s savings. In spite of the huge tax penalty that we knew would come later, we felt we had no other choice. My husband and I were stressed, and I felt responsible. I cried a lot back then.

But, every time I felt overwhelmed, I would remind myself to focus on the abundance in my life. It was hard to see any abundance at first. But slowly, I started realizing that my wealth had little to do with money. I realized that I have a supportive husband who I love; I have two children I adore; I have a nice home, a reliable car; an education, my health and a very good life.

I began to see that money can’t buy the things that really matter to me.

I wrote in my journal every day about the small things that filled my life with abundance. I started feeling grateful and saying so every chance I got.

One day, out of the blue, I woke up, and even though I was in the same circumstances as before, I realized that I was happy, calm, and stress-free. It was liberating.

By noticing the abundance in my life, I planted a seed that continued to grow. It literally changed my life.

Small amounts of money started showing up unexpectedly. My husband and I started whispering an affirmation every time we’d receive extra cash. We would say: “There is always enough money. It’s as abundant as the leaves on the trees.” Even pennies on the ground deserved our acknowledgment.

I found a job, and we’ve since slowly started rebuilding our savings. Even though it was so hard in the beginning, today I can honestly say that I feel happier than I’ve ever been.

Abundance helped me decide to take my personal growth more seriously, and I invested in myself. I recently attended Christine’s Wide Awake Weekend, and have started the Uplevel Your Life Mastery Program.

This short note cannot adequately describe the changes that blossomed in me this year — inside and out.

And it all started with one word.

In 2010, it is my intention to become clearer about who I am. I want to live authentically, and enthusiastically do what I love. I intend to share my passion with the world.

My word for 2010 is Clarity.

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Glad Doggett is a part-time instructor and writer, and currently lives in Clarksville, Tennessee. She intends to become a certified life coach and help others find their way out their own dark caves. She shares her transformative journey on her blog, www.airynothings.com.

Tagged as: christine kane, glad doggett, new years resolutions, word-of-the-year

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