One Word 2015

I'm not much of a writer and certainly never considered myself a "blogger". I mean, what do I have to say that is any different from the thousands that have already written about education, #oneword or the countless other topics being posted? I have pondered this for almost a year and I still do not have an answer, yet here I am "blogging" for the first time. I guess for me, this is about accomplishing my goal of attempting to write.  It’s about taking a risk and pushing myself beyond my comfort zone. So for those that so kindly are reading this, I hope you find pleasure in my simple and honest approach to writing.

Over winter break I was scrolling through my twitter feed and viewing all the posts about the hopes, goals and promises for the upcoming year of 2015. So much is invested in reinventing, rediscovering or renewing commitments to become better as individuals. One "tweet" caught my attention and kept my attention. It was challenging people to throw away the notion of "resolutions" and instead choose #oneword. As I learned more about this challenge, I quickly began to reflect on what my #oneword would be. What #oneword would represent all that I hope for in 2015? What #oneword would capture my reflections from 2014 and inspire me in 2015? After careful consideration I landed on my #oneword for 2015: FAITH. I chose this word as I felt it represented my commitment to myself for the upcoming year. Many hear this word and they automatically think "religion". Although I do believe in a higher power and I do desire to strengthen my faith in terms of my religious beliefs, religion was not the driving force behind my word choice. A quote I saw from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. truly confirmed "faith" would be my #oneword for 2015. It read, "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." This resonated with me in terms of my personal faith and my work as an educational leader. We so often have to take risks. We must also encourage others to take those risks with us and without trust and "faith" in one another, nothing changes; nothing gets accomplished. One more quote that I came across states, "Let your faith be stronger than your fears.” So many times we do not attempt, do not take that first step because of fear. Taking the first step, having the faith to overcome fears is vital to achieving our goals and pursuing our dreams.

Now many that know me are probably chuckling as they read this blog post. That is fine. This is a little sentimental for DSayre (as I am known by my close friends), but I truly feel that my lack of faith in the past few years has at times held me back from taking risks, trying new things and most importantly, being the best "me" that I can be. I hope that I can inspire others to find their #oneword and commit to being their best during 2015. Stronger Together, DSayre