it’s that time of year. those lazy, relaxing, what-do-i-do-now days between the christmas frenzy and the new year’s excitement. at least that how it is with me.
i absolutely love these cozy, snuggly days with no real meaning. blankets, food, drink, a bit of shopping, walks, movies, just being together. it’s the ultimate opportunity to really, truly slow down.
i’ve been going to bed really early (like 9pm) and rising super early (like 5am) this week. soaking up the chance to listen to the natural rhythm of my body. of course, i don’t drag myself out of bed until about 6:30 and even then it’s just to get coffee and get my fill of american morning news while i’m here. so the mornings have been extra lazy and long. (props to my poor bro who has to go in to work everyday this week. boo.).
in some of my down time, i’ve been internally preparing for the end of this year and the beginning of the next. taking the time to leave behind this year, honor it (in all of it’s insanity) for all it has given me (struggles are the deepest times of growth), and emerge ready to live my most authentic year yet in 2017.
now is the time to focus on positivity. conviction. resolve. intention. self-care. it’s time to bring forth the optimism and hope that lingers in these slow days as we march slowly toward the turning of the page.
and right now is the perfect time to begin to transition to the new year from the inside out. to spend a few moments thinking about what our visions + intentions are for 2017.
of course, we can’t know what the year will bring. but, if we slow down just enough, we can hear the whispers of our heart, guiding us to the knowledge of what our soul wants + needs. and, with that mindful, grounded practice we can choose a focus. something that can guide and lead us and inspire us.
so, my friends, i encourage you to join me in choosing a word of the year. if you haven’t embarked on this soul-searching, visioning, intention-setting journey before, then i highly recommend it. and, if you have, then i invite you to join me again.
it is truly an inspiring and grounding thing to do. i highly encourage you to seek that word that seems to just well up from within you. if you quiet your soul and listen just a bit, you will feel it + hear it. there is one there. in all of us. just waiting for us to let it unfold and inspire us all year long.
it can be a passive word or an active word. something that helps you to slow down + focus inwardly or something that forces you outward + gives you energy. and, when you settle your soul just a bit, then you will know which kind of word is best for your upcoming year.
if you’re curious about and interested in this process, then i have a little mini-workshop for you. all it takes is a few intentional minutes set aside today and tomorrow for digging deep and listening softly. and, i guarantee that, in the end your soul will share with you a vision for your 2017.
here’s your chance to discover your word for 2017, if you want. we’ve got 2 days before the new year begins. so, we’ve got plenty of time. let’s get started!
find your word: part one
today we are going to envision our 2017, make a list of possible words + let them sink into us.
// get quiet. find a quiet space alone for about 30 minutes. light a candle + grab a glass of your favorite drink. get ready to open your heart and set some intentions. be open. listen. breathe deep.
// create your vision. imagine how you want your year to look, what you want to be + do. what your soul needs. think about your dreams and goals and wishes for the new year. write it all down, if you want. or make a collage. doodle. create. brainstorm and dream away…
// inward or outward. based on your thoughts from above, decide if you feel that 2017 is a year to focus on slowing down and looking inward or if it is a year to be more active and social and putting yourself out there.
// take note. look over the lists of words below and notice 2 or 3 that seem to stand out at you. use them as a starting point to kind of get in the groove. don’t think about it or analyze it. go with your gut. remember, these are only a few words that are suggestions to get you thinking. use them, or pay attention to others that seem to pop up. just let them come to you.
// write it down. note on paper or in a journal any word that pops into your mind. gather about 3-5 possible words and let them sit there on the page. then, close your journal or put way the piece of paper. leave it alone and come back to it tomorrow.
examples of passive words:
nurture, be, rest, peace, spirit, heart, soul, magic, truth, light, calm, meditate, grounded, centered, breathe, simplicity, slow living, meaningful, zen, balance, honesty, love, bliss, authentic
examples of active words:
motivate, energy, focus, radiate, soar, grow, strength, change, flow, direction, create, travel, love, compassion, explore, brave, proclaim, manifest, balance, trust, freedom, bliss, authentic
tomorrow, i will lead you to make your final choice for your word for 2017. try not to stress about it. trust that your soul already knows exactly what you need. there can be no “wrong” word. however it appears or follows you throughout your year will be just how it needs to be. some years my word has changed throughout the year. some years it has felt just perfect. and some years, like this past one, my word (evolve) has literally manifested and become real in my life.
now, go and let the words just roll around in your head for the rest of the day. give them over to your heart. and move on to something else. tomorrow we will narrow it down and the perfect word (which may not even be one of the ones you chose to write down) will emerge. trust yourself. everything you need is already within you.
xoxo. liz.
come back tomorrow to finalize your word, if you haven’t already. and i’ll also have some tips on how to keep your word with you throughout the year. you know, cause it’s so freaking easy to just forget about it. am i right?!
Thank you so much for introducing this deliberate practice into my life, Liz. I’ve
been rolling around a few possibilities this week as I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting while at the beach. Still haven’t felt the settling on one but I think that’s only because I’m caught up in a line of thought.
I must tell that my word of 2016 served me so very well and wasn’t only fitting, but was actually useful in brining me back to the state of mind I needed to be in at times. The previous year’s word continues to serve me even now as a mantra from time to time, though much less so than how I needed it in 2015. So again, thank you for helping me reflect. xoxo