what's the word?

Now we have lived the first week of 2019.  Memories of the holidays and family and twinkling lights all slowly fading out of view, maybe with them the intentions and resolutions set for the New Year. Maybe we are starting to feel like once again, we have failed to hang on to the thing we wanted to add, change, or let go of.  This feeling of disappointment is another reason why in lieu of resolutions, I like the idea of a bucket list and also a Word of the Year.  So much more life enhancing. Just like at the beginning of a yoga class, when the teacher asks you to close your eyes and set your intention for the practice and you listen carefully to the word or feeling that comes up, so comes to you, the word of the year. 

Several years ago, during a session at Wanderlust in VT, I felt the word Surrender. Heard it, saw it, but really felt it in my cells.   I purchased a sticker that said just that and stuck it to the top of my yoga mat.  I adopted this word as my word to focus on until I felt the surrender became natural.  It is funny, but  when I look back at writing about surrender, a part of me knew even then that in order to allow for the parts of me I wanted to shine through I first had to surrender to what already was, and ask for the wisdom to hear my own guidance.

Last year, my word was Magic.  I found so many reasons to think about magic, to create it and to manifest it into my life.  I left drinking behind, and made the time and room in my heart and soul and life (oh and wallet) to let that seep in.  I was able to have experiences with an ever increasing clarity and focus .I reached and reached toward my inner guru, I let go of living just for the sake of living and really delved into a search for meaning.   I read 36 books with such varied titles that you would be hard pressed to come to conclusions about me from looking at it. I participated in 3 intense soul and purpose  excavating online courses, I became Reiki 1 certified,  I developed a toolbox to assist my journey.  Some of my favorite toolbox items to date, my morning pages journaling, a regular meditation practice, lavender oil and rekindling my love affair with nature and the woods.   On a run today I listened to Tammi Salas and Sondra Primeaux (of the Unruffled) talk about their process around Word of the Year, and what they chose and how they have changed over the years, hindsight being such a torch of illumination.  Truthfully, I thought maybe I didn’t do the word justice, but now as I write about 2018, I see that I in fact did.  And so many magical memories were made. Elizabeth Gilbert has said that her favorite definition of magic is, “Magic is nothing more than the next big thing that wants to happen.”  And happen it did, the whole year really, and making space for all that wants to happen next.

So I thought and thought and wrote and rolled words around to help me find the focus for this year.  And as the holiday dimmed and normalcy returned it seemed to come into focus.  Expand…such a powerful word on it as own, even more powerful with the energetic  action behind it.

Expand (verb) to become or make larger or more extensive. Physics of the universe undergo continuous change whereby, according to theory based on observed shifts, all galaxies recede from one another.  To give a fuller version or account of.

This word I will tuck carefully into the folds of my heart  and for all of 2019 my goal will be to have experiences in a way that can feel  larger, bigger, wider, and continually changing.  I love the idea of taking up more space.  Expanding beyond what I thought were my limitations and what is or was my comfort zone.  It’s also a beautiful word to bring to my bucket list.  I feel like I have so much to learn, I literally cannot stop reading and listening and soaking up all the things.  I am mostly learning that in order to expand my life I will need my intuition and I am practicing it.  It is moving me toward some exciting people and lessons and courses and books.  And it seems where my heart is leading me, is to places I always felt a draw and connection to but maybe did not pursue. Why am I here?  What is the deeper meaning? What is my purpose.  Expand…

I am so very excited to see how expansive this year can be, to see how far I can go from where I have already  arrived.  I am looking forward to receiving all of the inspiration that my soul can handle. 

Have you picked a word of the year?  What would you like to shift your focus back to as 2019 moves forward.  How beautiful that we are gifted with the desire to live intentionally.  Feel free to comment, or email me your ideas.  Happy New Year!  I see you.