The Power of Open Hearted Living
By Twyla Franz
God's Brave Women - Twyla's Story
A word for the year can be a like a dare—a weighted invitation to surrender and grow. When I chose the word open as last year’s word of the year it was a solemn acceptance that I wasn’t going to stay safely within the confines of my comfort zone. I was going to grow, and that meant it wasn’t always going to be easy. Or comfortable.
The word open is like a paradox next to my personality. On the temperament color test I am green. All green. I prefer peace and harmony and could take a pass on conflict, please and thank you. (There are 4 temperaments, for anyone unfamiliar with the color test, and the green quadrant is on the people side of the people-task continuum, and the introverted side of the introvert-extrovert continuum.) I am also a 9 on the Enneagram, which basically reinforces that I prefer peace to a fault and get squeamish around conflict.
Yet here I was, on the brink of 2019, armed with a word that would unravel the tightly wound threads within, nudge me into vulnerability, and posture my heart like an open door. Adorning my own front door was a handwoven, natural burlap wreath. The wreath looked like a capital O. O for Open.
"I carried the word open with me—literally, as a screen saver on my phone. The reminder was ever present, but it took a conscious decision every time I chose to take a risk and crack my shell further open."
I carried the word open with me—literally, as a screen saver on my phone. The reminder was ever present, but it took a conscious decision every time I chose to take a risk and crack my shell further open. I still felt hesitant and far from brave, but I am also stubborn to a fault and I was determined to keep pressing in against my natural bent to retreat.