I’m still thinking my word through . . since this is my first word to do it, I want it to be an outstanding word. 🙂
A reader recommended I go back and read a post I had written in December entitled Perspective. This morning when I was thinking about my word, I went back and searched posts where I had used the word “thankful” and I came across that post. Then I wondered about using “kindness” or “understanding”.
Kindness and understanding are great words but my guess is that there will be months this year when I don’t see other people and there aren’t that many people I talk to on the phone. It’s easier to be kind and understanding when writing because I usually think things through before writing. Sometimes I feel like I need to be kinder to myself and sometimes I need to do better understandings myself but I till feel more like “thankful” is the word. Thankful seems to be kind of a state of mind where kindness and understanding are also but are best displayed when around or dealing with others. I don’t know . . so many good words.
Last night I also read about grateful vs. thankful. They kinda sound like the same thing to me. I think I use grateful often when I should use thankful but . . I’m still not 100% sure I understand when to use grateful and when to use thankful. I still feel like my word is going to be thankful. I think that covers a wider gamut of what I’m thinking.
Thank you all who shared your words. I enjoyed reading them. I had no idea so many people were doing this.
Elle says
Grateful is an action. Thankful is a feeling. “I am grateful to you for helping me out on this issue.” I am thankful to be safe and warm tonight in my home.
I don’t think you can go wrong 🙂
Judy Laquidara says
It’s kinda like effect and affect. I worked for attorneys for years and years and I had to get that word right. One day I told one of the attorneys I was tired of trying to figure it out and I was using one word for the rest of my life and I should have a 50/50 chance of being right. He wasn’t impressed with my decision. 🙂
Of course, I didn’t really do that and now that it isn’t so imperative, I seem to get it right most of the time but maybe that’s because there’s not an attorney ready to correct me these days.
cindy says
optimistic is the word i think of when i think of you. i love that you have great plans.
Rebecca says
It’s funny–I got to wondering the same thing, so I googled the difference. The first site that came up said the exact opposite of Elle’s expanation, but the second entry referred to the Oxford dictionary, and said exectly what she said, so I’m going with that. Good thing to think about!
Cynthia says
Compassion
Empathy
Personally, my word for the year is Finish.