One Word: Listen

For the last several years, I've tried to choose one word to reflect, or encapsulate what I hope my growth and goals to center around in the upcoming year. I've spent a good deal of time meditating on this for 2020 and this is the word I've landed on:

Listen

 

My hope is that this will touch many areas of my life and probably end up growing into areas I'm not currently even thinking of. Here are some of the things I'm leaning into for 2020:

• Listen to God. Slow down. Be present. Meditate. Pray, yes, but instead of so much talking, to instead talk less and be quiet more - see what I might hear when I'm not so busy saying all the words. This is hard for me. My mind is constantly, infuriatingly, busy. Stilling wayward thoughts is a constant battle. I am learning how to rein them in (with much failure and starting over) and bring them back to a place of quiet centering.

• Listen to people I do not agree with or do not understand. This is also hard for me. I am hard wired to argue, to prove points, to have the last word. But I want to learn to be quiet and truly hear what they have to say. Not to necessarily be won over or win them over, but to understand, to connect, to build relationship. 

• Listen to stories. Podcasts, movies, books and my favorite, real-life, face-to-face people. There are stories all around us, filled with the experiences of people I will never have the opportunity to meet, but I can definitely learn from their lives. So, if you have biographies, memoirs, podcasts to suggest, (or if you have a really great story to tell me), bring it on!

• Learn how to ask open ended questions and listen to answers. It's easy for me to ask leading questions and then proceed to prep my comeback while they're answering - again it's how I'm wired. It's great for winning fights, but not for building relationships.

I'm not really sure how these will develop, what God and life will add or take away from in the process, but I'm praying it will change me in good ways.

Do you have a word for 2020? I'd love to know what it is and why!