Finding Your Word of the Year

Over the past four or five years, I've had a word come to me in December. It generally feels foreign, intriguing, and desirable. The first time this happened, I had never even heard of the practice of choosing a word for the upcoming year. It just happened.

The word was "truth," and I wanted to experience and embody every part of that word in the coming year. I did, and man o' man did it support me. That was 2018, the year I quit my corporate job and moved out west. The year I manifested my childhood dream job! The year everything I didn't even know I wanted started coming to fruition -- because I kept following "truth" wherever it led.

The truth of my work life - I was burnt out and unsatisfied (to the point I was getting stress-induced Shingles at the tender age of 32).

The truth of my personal life - I was relying on booze, nights out, and shallow dates to entertain myself. It wasn't working.

The truth of my soul - it was gaining its voice, and I was listening more and more with each passing day.

Following this word around for that year brought me so much. It wasn't all easy, but it was what I needed.

So in the tradition this year, I've chosen the word "Join." Again it came to me without effort, just the simple knowledge that "yup, this is it."

Join

• I will officially join Greg later this year as we get married.

• I have started a new job hoping that it allows me to join my coaching and "woo woo" self with my practical outward-facing self.

• I wish to join the work I've been doing in my personal life with the offerings I give clients more deliberately.

• I want to join all parts of myself here in this life experience to show me what can unfold next.

• I want to continue joining the community in my small town, supporting efforts that I know deserve it (like housing insecurity and other volunteer services.)

• I want to join more in my work with horses to become a better horsewoman.

And so, Join is here to teach me, lead me, and show me what this year is all about.

How Do You Find Your Word?

I highly encourage folks to *be* with the intention of uncovering your word for the year. It's not about forcing things or making a "resolution." It's about tuning in with your intuition and higher self and asking for guidance.

That said, I know we "doers" need an activity sometimes to get to that space. Here's what I would recommend.

Determine if you want this to be a more meaningful ceremony or something you do casually.

If you want a ceremony:

• Pick a morning or evening you know is free of distractions.

• Draw a bath and listen to some binaural beats or meditations to get you in a centered space. (Maybe add some candles, bath salts, even crystals!)

• Then move on to journaling, asking questions like:

• What is this next year about for me?

• Where is my soul leading me?

• How could I better embody the upgrades I've made recently in my life?

• Tune into another favorite practice - Tarot, walking meditations, sound baths, a float tank. What would help you be in stillness better and gain clarity?

• Write or talk out what you've uncovered. What's come up during this practice? What feels like it's leading you? -- Distill it down if it's overly verbose and ask, "what is the word?" "what is the phrase?"

The Causal Approach:

• Journal and ask, or take from the journal prompts above.

• Grab a dictionary and your favorite diving tool, a pendulum, Tarot Cards, Runes, Crystals, and play around. To which letter are you guided? What word?

• Go for a walk and tune in, don't bring any music (unless you need it to tune in), and walk to find the word.

• Meditate on it!

• Do that activity that brings you the most joy and let your mind wander while in action. What comes up - a theme, a phrase? Use that!

The biggest thing to remember is this doesn't have to be some "awe-inspiring" word. My word is "join," for crying out loud. It's not necessarily the most meaningful word when you first hear it, but when it came to me, I saw that it *meant*, which is the key to this practice. Find a word that brings you into the *meaning* for the year.

Enjoy the process, and let me know what you uncover!