Making a Contribution

Every year I pick a word to focus on for that year. Over the many years I have been doing this, I have chosen words, like joy, trust, love, prosperity, fruition and magic. Recently I was contemplating the word I wanted to choose for 2012 and was having a hard time picking just one. On the winter solstice, I attended a women’s circle facilitated by a wonderful wise woman named Karen Buckley, the creator of thewisdomconnection.com. Karen helped us to pause and honor the turning of the long days of darkness to the light. Just before the ritual was to begin, the word “contribution” popped into my head. “That’s it!” I said. “The perfect word for me to focus on for 2012.”

As I reflected on the idea, I began to realize the multi-faceted properties inherent in the word contribution. There are of course the altruistic aspects of contribution, such as volunteering or providing money to a charity. I like the idea of making a contribution to everything I do, ranging from providing insights in a conversation, sharing ideas via social media, helping with the dishes, giving someone a ride et al. Another kind of contribution is one that I get compensated for. I love the idea of contributing to the success and well being of a company or association through my trainings and consultancies, all of which are delivered with heart and soul.

The distinction for this year is that good things happen through me, not just to me. While this is not a new idea, it is the right place to focus. This coming year will be filled with a variety of projects. I can choose to see them as tasks that I need to accomplish or focus on the bigger picture, contributing to the greater good and the triple bottom line—people, planet and profit. My New Year’s intention for this blog is to contribute ideas that make a difference to your life in a positive, healthy and interesting way.