Day 31: One Word

Rounding out the project and the year, the last prompt of the year for the Reverb Broad’s 2011 Writing Challenge wants to know “What is your “one word”? One word for this year, one word for next year.”

Here’s a little backstory for those of you not in the know: the One Word Resolution began last year as a reflective question in a blog for professionals in my field last year. To better understand it you can click here.

OK then. That explanation took a lot less time than I thought it would. Moving on…

For 2011 I wanted a word that expressed my inner diva, drive and inspiration. For 2011 my One Word Resolution was “shine”. I chose the word because I liked the definition I found online: “1.) to give forth or glow with light; shed or cast light. 2.) to be bright with reflected light; glisten; sparkle.” I wanted to inspire my students and those I loved; I wanted to help illuminate lives and reflect my happiness and light onto the world. I wanted to challenge myself to be a positive presence in everything I did. I used the word to guide my work and my life.

For 2012 I’m taking my One Word in a different direction. As much as I love words like “shine” and “focus” and “grow” I want to shake things up in my life. I need a word that encompasses my hopes and dreams for this year. I need something that’s going to motivate me to dig deeper, go further, and push myself.

So for 2012, my one word resolution is this:

GAGA.

The Lady stands for everything I admire and want to be: creativity. Passion. Drive. Commitment. Loyalty. Grace. Determination. Future-focused. She doesn’t just sing a song, she creates a vision and follows through with it. When she’s penning lyrics, she’s envisioning the music video, the choreography and the costume she’ll wear for it onstage for that song. When she believes in a cause she uses her voice to inspire change and her power to move the world. She’s one of the biggest pop stars on the planet yet she’s humble about her success and uses her popularity to push her towards bigger things. She’s driven and motivated in ways I rarely see. Any fear she feels, she uses as a catalyst to propel herself forward to do good, dig deep and achieve more. She’s so much more than a singer in my book. She’s my inspiration for my new year.

So this year, as I anticipate some twists in my journey of life, I’ll channel Gaga. I’ll use my fear to push me forward and become a better version of myself. I’ll use my creativity to learn more about myself and hopefully inspire others. I’ll focus on my passions so I can better serve others. I want to grow in new ways this year and take on life in ways I never thought possible. I don’t want fear to rule my life–I figure one way I can help achieve this is to ask what Gaga would do given my journey and choices.

I don’t know what 2012 holds for me, but I’m excited to see how my journey unfolds. And with Gaga as a guide–how could I not win at life?

In Praise Of: Lady Gaga

Gaga performing at the 2011 VMAs

It’s rare that I get really excited about a musician. I mean, I get excited about a lot of things: puppies, friends, mail, love, anything shiny. But I don’t truly get excited about musicians for the most part. I went through a major boy band phase in high school where I was in love with the Backstreet Boys and then switched teams and was head over heels for *NSync. I loved me a boy who could sing and bust a mean choreographed move. But apart from that, I haven’t truly fell for an artist in a long time.

Until Gaga came along.

I watched her 2009 VMA performance, transfixed because she commanded the stage, but also nervous because I had no idea what the hell she was doing. She was bleeding from her boobs and being crucified–that’s a bold statement to make on a world stage. She creeped me out. Thus, I had to know more about her. Once I learned the intent behind that performance I became more than a minor fan.

Now I eagerly await performances. I was so excited for her Grammy performance that I was in tears approximately twenty seconds into the song. I counted down to her Born This Way video and then the album. I talk about her incessantly enough that some of my students have nicknamed me Gaga because of my minor obsession with her.  I truly believe I could die happy once I finally see her in concert.

But I don’t adore her in a creepy fan-girl way. It’s not like I worship a Gaga alter. Rather, the reason I love Lady Gaga so much is because she inspires me. To me, she stands for everything good and creative in the world. She is in control of her career and the messages that she sends out to the universe and she works hard to intentionally create meaningful (although sometimes confusing) messages. Her albums have themes and underlying story arcs that can sometimes take dozens of listens to understand. Her videos can take her months to create because she wants to make sure every angle, every scene, every costume, every dance move intentionally reflects who she is and what she wants to say.  She seems genuinely moved by the fact that people love her and reflects her appreciation by working hard to give her fans her best. Plus she’s not afraid to poke fun at herself–have you seen her Saturday Night Live  appearances? They’re brilliant. (She practically co-hosted the final SNL of the season with Justin Timberlake–she was in all but one or two of the skits because of her comedic abilities.) 

When I watch her videos and performances I get whole-body chills. While I watched tonight’s VMAs, I was reminded of just how incredible she is. Never one to do anything traditional, Gaga chose to open the award show as her drag alterego, complete with three-minute monologue and rocking rendition of “You and I” where she danced her heart out, threw beer around the stage, climbed on a piano and then nearly injured herself because she was so into the performance. To me, she is a strong woman who demands attention and commands the stage because of her enormous talent and the message she’s sending. She inspires me in ways I can’t articulate, but mostly she inspires me because she’s fearless. The world needs more people like her in it. Even if they choose to do a performance in drag. Especially when they choose to perform in drag.

I want to be like Lady Gaga when I grow up.

(Photo credit: here) (You can watch the video of the performance at this link as well.)