What are Your Most Important Words for 2012?

It’s 2012 — the year the Mayan calendar ends. But instead of doom and gloom, I’m going to make 2012 the best year ever! That’s because I’m so excited about the theme I’ve chosen for the coming 12 months.

As you may remember, every New Year’s, I pick a theme. Last year’s theme was LOVE — a natural when I knew I’d be speaking about Love for No Reason throughout the year. (BTW, there’s a cool announcement about Love for No Reason coming up on Tuesday. Look out for it!)

This year, I spent a few days thinking about my 2012 theme, and I came up with a different possibilities, but none of really hit the spot. Then just yesterday, as I was leaving a Zumba class (all those endorphins seem to clear my brain), it suddenly came to me — my theme for 2012 is “thank you.” Simply that… thank you.

But those two seemingly simple little words can turn everything around. If I can say thank you to everything — no matter what — then I know my life will be joyous and more unconditional love will be automatic.

For me, saying thank you to everything means dropping my evaluation of whether something is good or bad, and judging every happening as to its “merit.” If instead, I can live with a continuous thank you, then everything that comes up can be viewed as a gift. This is a stretch for me, a chronic evaluator, but it’s one I’m up for. Because without a doubt, the happiest people I’ve ever met are those who always have a thank you in their hearts.

My selection of the thank you theme has already been reinforced many times since I made it:

–A friend passed away on New Year’s Day — a wonderful woman who lived with thank you on her lips despite a number of years with a debilitating illness. Her passing reminded me how fleeting and fragile life can be, but how infinitely precious. Thank you.

–Earlier today, I spoke with another friend and asked her how she was. Her reply was, “Grateful.” She said she’d woken up the past few mornings with a lightness and gratitude in her heart. None of her life circumstances had changed, but she was grateful to be alive. Thank you.

–Being single around the holidays has its challenges for many people, including me. But I got to be part of my nephew’s beautiful wedding celebration on New Year’s Eve and witness the great love between him and his new wife. Instead of feeling sad for being alone, I was inspired by their deep love and how they live in a constant thank you for each other. Thank you.

Here’s the process I recommend for you to select and use your theme for 2012:

1. Select a theme that sings to your soul. While you’ve been reading this, has a theme come to you? Are you having a strong pull to a particular word, phrase, or concept? Maybe there’s more than one. Jot them down. Sit with them for a while and see which one speaks the loudest to you. You’ll know you’ve found the right one for you when you’re uplifted just thinking about it.

2. Craft your theme into a short intention statement that becomes your “mantra” for the year. Mine is: I live this year in a continual thank you.

3. Create a vision board with your theme at the top. (I made mine last week, and I love looking at it.)

4. Make a habit of looking for the ways your theme shows up throughout your day.

I can’t wait to hear what your theme for 2012 is. Please share it with me on my Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/MarciShimoffFan.

In honor of my 2012 theme of Thank You, I’d love to share a little gift with you. It’s a beautiful, short video from one of my Love for No Reason heroes, Brother David Steindl-Rast, a Benedictine monk who has started a worldwide gratefulness movement.

As Brother David says, “We are never more than one grateful thought away from peace of heart.”

May your 2012 theme, whatever it is, open your heart to experience greater love this year than ever before.