I love the practice of choosing a word or phrase for the year. It helps me focus on my overall intention for the year and provides me with a guide post to refer back to as I choose where to focus my time and energy.
This year I struggled to settle on a word, unsure of exactly what I wanted 2012 to embody.
As I often do when grappling with a decision, I spent many hours writing in my journal and exploring what I want for this year.
First I thought my word might be shine. This year I want to step even more fully into my true self. In my work and in my life. I want to do so confidently and without apology. I definitely do want to shine this year but that's not all I want. And shine wasn't giving me the YES feeling that I want from my word of the year.
So I asked myself (a la Eat, Pray, Love), "What do I really, really, really, really, really want this year?"
More than anything I want to feel calm and relaxed. I want to go with flow. I want to feel like I'm present for all the moments of my life. I want to feel like I'm living my life on purpose not just being dragged along for the ride.
This brought me to two new words - play and plan, but that didn't feel right either. Mellow came to mind. The embodiment of ease. No word or words was feeling right and I was becoming frustrated. January was coming to an end - I needed to figure this out!
It dawned on me that my quest for the perfect word to describe what I wanted for 2012 was leaving me feeling the opposite of what I hoped for this year! So I sat back, took a few deep breaths, and decided to let go and trust that my word for 2012 would find me.
Eventually it came to me and, as I knew it would, it immediately felt like the right word for me.
My word of the year for 2012 is.............
LIGHT!
It encompasses the feeling I want to embody this year - carefree, joyful, relaxed - and my intention for business and life - to shine brightly.
What's your word of the year?
(Also, how fabulous is this for keeping your word of the year close?)
