My 2018 Word of the Year

Happy New Year, mamas! I hope you had a wonderful "break" (if that's what you call it when you have young kids at home!) and are enjoying 2018 so far. Every year for the past few years, I've shared a word that I want to focus on. Last year, it was "hygge". The year before that, it was "present". This year, the word that keeps popping into my head is GIVE. I know it's a simple word, but it's something that I feel I need to work on. Let me explain (and let me share with you how you'll benefit from my word this year!).

What if we gave without expecting anything in return? And I'm not just talking about physical gifts. What about our knowledge? Our time?

I feel like blogging (and vlogging, and social media influencing etc.) is an industry where we can quickly become selfish and very inward. We can put our guard up because we think everyone's copying us, or we somehow lose our value if we share too much. Heck, my word of the year last year was very inward, but this year I feel like I need to do a full 180 and look outward. I'm not saying that I want to forget about taking care of myself in order to take care of others, (I want to take better care of myself SO that I can take better care of others), but I want to do a better job of freely giving.

This year, I want to GIVE without expectation of anything in return.

For my personal life, this means that I want to go the extra mile to support and uplift my husband, children, family and friends without expecting anything in return. Why do we imagine an invisible debt owed to us in our heads when we help people? What would it feel like to give to our loved ones without any expectation?

For my professional life - this blog and my social channels, this means that I want to give more things away to you, my readers. Expect more free printables, product giveaways and educational posts about blogging and vlogging coming here this year. I want to help my fellow creators achieve success with their blogs & channels, and I want my readers & viewers to get lots of value from my blog & channel.

If you're feeling this way about giving this year too, here are a few great quotes that I hope will motivate you as much as they've motivated me:

“Help others without any reason and give without the expectation of receiving anything in return.” 
― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

“It's not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.” 
― Mother Teresa

"A generous person will prosper;
whoever refreshes others will be refreshed."
- Proverbs 11:25

Happy new year, friends! May you find joy & refreshment in giving this year!

Christina