Word of the Year

2022 is approaching and as with the arrival of any new year, most of us open the doors of this new year with hope and anticipation. And given the past two years, I believe most of us also have a dream for an end to this global pandemic and a return to a more normal existence, albeit a new ‘normal’. And finally, it is a time to check in with ourselves to understand what it is we want to attract to us, create in our lives, begin or end, achieve, explore and more.

While I no longer believe in setting New Year’s Resolutions or goals, I do appreciate time to take inventory, consider what is next and mindfully engage the energy that I want for myself, my loved ones and the planet. This year, in an effort to change it up somewhat, I have a new strategy: identifying my Word for the Year.

The concept is not new to me. I have been asked many times in the past, by colleagues, what my word is. Honestly, I had never given it any consideration. This past year a colleague of mine, Dimple Mukherjee, wrote a book Word of the Year- True Stories about Intentional Living Using the Power of a Single Word. While this remains on my reading list, I do understand what she means. Choosing a word, and endeavoring to live it daily, holding it in your consciousness, is the same as setting and living an intention. This I know to be powerful from my own experience.

Great! So how do I choose one word to live by? As intention would have it, I attracted an exercise which would help me choose and now, I offer this to you. Here we go….

Step One: reflect on the last year and ask yourself, what could I use more or less of in my life? What would be a game changer for me?

Okay, WOW! What a year it has been. I attracted amazing new work with women, learned more about self-compassion and divine feminine energy, built new relationships (on ZOOM), settled fully into my new life in Cornwall. I feel excited, engaged, lit up, inspired, compassionate and so much more. What was missing: travel, adventure, face to face time with family and friends, freedom, exploring new places. What would be a game changer for me? I am reflecting on this.

Step Two: Visualize how you want to feel at work, throughout the day and when you go to bed. Meditate or sit in silence and ask yourself, what do I want to focus on in 2022?

What immediately comes up for me is an intention I set for my “retirement” – I want to feel excited, lit-up, inspired and engaged. I want to feel that my actions make a difference for others and the planet. I want to exercise my creative juices and my curiosity. I do not see any of these things changing in the months and years to come. I also want to feel increasingly curious, have opportunities to exercise my learning and accrued wisdom, and open up to new possibilities.

Step Three: Create a List of words that come to mind. Let them flow, do not edit or stop yourself. Do not doubt that you can have anything you want, now write….

Here is my short list: beauty, adventure, inspiration, joy, compassion, love, freedom, courage, grace, abundance, gratitude, community, opportunity, travel, meaning, engagement, divine, wisdom, hope, bounty, being, caring, fortitude, health, wholeness, spirit, connection,….

Step Four: Review and refine your list and narrow it down to your three favorite words. How do you decide? What words jump out at you? Make you feel happy, sad, excited? Go…

My three: adventure, joy, gratitude

How do you decide? First read the list and highlight what pops out, triggers a feeling, engages you. Next ask what precedes others, for example joy, love and compassion…If am joyful does love and compassion naturally follow? Have fun. And guess what, there are no poor choices.

Step Five: Ask yourself, “which word can you say you are 100% committed to? Now choose.

My word of the year: Adventure

I have to admit this choice leaves me a little breathless as it feels like it opens new doors that I have yet to explore. At the same time, it feels like a natural progression to being engaged and inspired.

Step Six: Live your WORD.

Suffice it to say, this may be the most difficult step as it really does require calling in the word every day, seeing it, feeling it, intending it.

A few intentional examples:
My life is an adventure.
My work is revealing new adventures and opportunities.
I am attracting adventure in the many aspects of my life.
I am mindfully noticing the adventure in my life and expressing gratitude for those moments.
I see adventure easily and effortlessly.
Adventure fuels my other life experiences.

As with any intention, you will need to pay attention to how your WORD shows up, changes your life, invited you to change or respond. And when life offers you, opportunities related to your WORD, you will also need to be curious and explore the possibilities.

Thanks to Rashita Jones and her SKETCHNOTE for Finding your Word of the Year. I hope you have some fun with this, play, imagine and then live you ‘word intention’.

Blessings for a fulfilling 2022.

Betty Healey, MEd. CAPP