3 Helpful Ways to Stay Connected to Your One Word
{One Word 2025 February Linkup}
Can you believe it’s been almost two months with your One Word? If your enthusiasm is starting to fade, now is a great time to find fresh ways to connect with your word.
Here are 3 simple ideas to try this coming month to keep your word alive in your daily life:
1. SOMETHING TO HEAR
Find a song with your word in the title or lyrics—maybe even write your own! Add it to a playlist, print out the lyrics, or learn to play it on an instrument.
I’ve started a Ripple playlist on my phone to hear my word. I only have 6 songs on it so far. I started with “Ripple” by the Grateful Dead, but I’m not really a fan so I’ll probably delete that one. My favorite song so far is “The Waves We Give” by Beautiful Chorus.
“Be like water, my friend
You shall find a way around, or through it
When nothing within us stays rigid
We decide the shape we’re in”
Another favorite is “Underdog” by Alicia Keys. It never fails to move me.
“One conversation, a single moment
The things that change us, if we notice
When we look up sometimes”
2. SOMETHING TO SAY
Look for a poem, quote, scripture, or book passage about your word. Read it aloud or record yourself reading it, then listen to it once a day for a week.
I’ve gathered quite a few words related to Ripple. Here’s the poem I’m currently memorizing.
The Window
By Rumi
“Your body is away from me
but there is a window open
from my heart to yours.
From this window, like the moon
I keep sending news secretly.”
3. SOMETHING TO SEE
Gather new visuals of your word and place them where you’ll notice them daily. Or challenge yourself to take a photo each day of something that reminds you of your word.
Here are 4 of my daily photos of things reminding me of Ripple.
1. Gentle ripples on the lake behind my house
2. Old leaves rippling through the grass as the wind moves them along
3. I can’t remember where I found this photo, but it instantly reminded me of the word ripple—with wave after wave of executive orders issued in the U.S. over the past few weeks, each one ripples its impact through companies, communities, and families in countless ways
4. The little pinwheel by my front walk ripples often when the wind blows
Try these ideas yourself and see what you come up with.
The more you engage with your word through your senses, the more it will become a part of you.
Today’s linkup will remain open for two weeks from Tuesday, February 25, through Tuesday, March 11.
Our March linkup begins on Tuesday, March 25. We’ll have new challenges and a linkup on the 25th of each month throughout 2025—mark your calendars.
How are you staying connected with your One Word for 2025? Please leave a comment here.
If you’d like to receive our monthly One Word emails and ideas, join here any time of the year.
I’m amazed by the many forms of ripple you are finding, Lisa, and how much ripple springboards off your word curiosity from last year. Though both are playful words and bring much cheer, I also hear you going deeper with both as you refuse to play only in the shallow water.
Yes, I didn’t realize that Curiosity was going to be such a great lead-in to Ripple, but it’s definitely turning out that way. 🙂
Beautiful poems and music lyrics!
I think so, too, Linda. I’m grateful for the poets and artists who make beautiful things for us to enjoy!
Lisa, your commitment to the “one word” is inspuring and encouraging. I love all the tips you provide here. I’m just now embracing my word this month after struggling with my ols word in January. But I love making playlists! I cannot wait to create one, now! Thanks, sister! God bless you and yours.
I’m glad you’ll be making your own playlist too, Horace! Mine still needs a lot of work. 🙂 Hope you’re doing well, friend.
Lisa, I love these and they’re beautiful except he who shall not be named. Wow. I had not expected to see his mug on a rippling post. But yes, rippling them off in record time and the ripple effect is already growing into a vast tsunami. We are devasted in MO (at least some of us). It’s an important lesson to note: Each of us is connected to each other. So one even one firing (and there have been too many to count) will ripple out and negatively affect so many (even the world over). Conversely, one small good deed will ripple out and start a wave of benefit. Keep rippling righteously, Lisa!
xo
Lynn
Our Alabama representative has been back in town the past few days but despite repeated calls from the public for a town hall meeting, he won’t do it. Our area has a large workforce of both NASA and government workers at our Redstone Arsenal, and the ripple effects of firings and threats are definitely filtering through families here. It’s been sad to watch not only government workers lose jobs, but also how the government contractors are being hindered from doing their jobs due to those firings. Tsunami is definitely a more appropriate word.
But also yes, acts of kindness can ripple out! I’ve seen those as well and I’m grateful to see lights shining brightly.
L, I saw this on last night’s news about, get this, A RIPPLE OF KINDNESS! I immediately thought of how you are rippling kindness at every turn. This is beautiful story.
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/how-one-girls-bionic-arm-sparked-a-movement/?intcid=CNM-00-10abd1h
Thanks for sharing the link, Lynn! I’ll look forward to watching it!
Hi Lisa, some good tips for staying with your word of the year, thanks for sharing! Ripple is such a good word and you’re showcasing how it impacts in many different ways. Thanks for the linkup, I’ve shared my latest update on my word LISTEN.
Thanks, Debbie. I’ll look forward to reading your update on Listen. It’s something we all could practice a bit better! And we get lots of opportunities for it. 🙂
What a lovely and helpful blog! Thanks for sharing these fresh ideas to stay connected to your One Word. I love how creative you are with music, words, and pictures. Your excitement is catching—you really inspire people! ????
Thank you for the encouraging comment, Aritha! I have thoroughly enjoyed the whole One Word practice. It always surprises me how many different lessons we can learn from a single word if we stick with it for awhile.
Wow, what great exercises Lisa! You’ve definitely found some amazing ways to connect with your WOTY.
To answer your question, I decided to have my WOTY- Explore as a theme for my blog site this year, so have even included it in the subtitle of my website; Exploring Life, Love & Laughter…! And every post will be around ‘Explore’ in one form or another.
Blessings, Jennifer
It’s so fantastic that you can connect with your word so intrinsically on your blog, Jennifer! Explore is both a broad and deep word, and it can apply to almost anything. Love it!
Hi, Lisa – Thank you for another great WOTY prompt. My WOTY25 is ‘Believe.’ There are so many great songs with that word in the title. And ‘Believe’ by Lenny Kravitz reminds us: “If you want it, you gotta believe.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spPWnh3JvZ0
Thanks for sharing the link to Believe. I’ve not heard this one, but I’m enjoying listening to it right now! You’re right; there are SO many songs with Believe in the title. It would be really hard to narrow down a playlist for that. ha.
I love all the ways you’ve found to experience rippled. ~~~~~~~~~~
Me, too, Barb! It’s been amazing how often I see or hear Ripple, either the actual word or at least the theme of it.
Can I change my word? Mindful Heritage is proving harder than I thought. Though I’m still going to slowly explore it for myself. I’d like to change my 2025 Word to SAVOR please. Savor has been touching me since January. Lol
Of course! Please do change your word, Paula! It’s all about what works for you. I just read a post last night that I want to share with our group soon about “3 reasons to give up your New Year resolutions”. Good for you in giving yourself the room to make a positive change when you need to!
❤️????????
Happy March Lisa! I love what you come up for us to chronicle our word journey. I appreciate your dedication.
Thanks bunches for sharing with Sweet Tea & Friends this month dear friend.
xo
Ps: I don’t know why there are questions marks after my heart up there. ❤️????