it’s word of the year time! and, as you can tell by the title, my word for 2014 is paradise. it came to me one day in december during one of my fika meet ups. it was something i read, a message to me in a random horoscope i picked up. when i saw the word, “paradise” laying on the page, in black and white, i knew that creating my own paradise – as the text suggested – was perfect. it stated exactly where i am in life as this new year begins. then, a few days after christmas i received my “message from the universe” email in my inbox which said this:
“I want you to know, Liz, that I’ve ordered up another year for you. Think I’ll call it 2014. I’m going to put most of the same people from 2013 in it, since you all think so much alike. But there’ll also be a few new, very cool cats coming to play – give them some time to grow up though. And I’m going to have things start off pretty much exactly where they left off in 2013, for continuity’s sake. Flips folks out too much when I don’t. All in all, 365 more days in paradise… and only one request of you: DREAM BIGGER.”
unbelievable, i thought. seriously. the word paradise showed up again, screaming at me that this was my word for 2014. but, i sat with it, not claiming it as my word of the year until the day before new year’s eve…
in order to hammer down and commit to my word for the year, i needed a little self-retreat evening – ‘cuz that’s how i roll. so, on the 30th of december i did just that. thanks to a link from an instagram buddy, i found the perfect material on susannah conway’s blog to help guide me through this process of claiming my word for 2014.
i went into our studio, lit a bunch of candles, got my journal and some pens, and a glass of wine and some music, and sat down for about 2 hours. what happened during that time was a literal letting go of and saying farewell to 2013, and preparing my vision for 2014. and, in the end, it came to be that paradise was exactly the word that fit my vision for the upcoming year.
so much has happened in the past year. so many amazing things have begun, that i felt my soul telling me to grab onto the things that have begun, and dig in. work hard. bring those dreams, which have only begun to peek out of the ground like little seeds sprouting, to fruition – this is the heart of me creating my own paradise.
so, it’s not a new year of chasing new dreams. instead, it’s a new year of working on the dreams which have already begun to come true. it’s a new year of creating that paradise, that way of life that i yearn for and crave. things that only just started in 2013… now’s the time to really make things happen. no more searching and seeking. no more trying to discover who i am (though every day is a learning process and reveals more & more of who we are throughout all of life). no more just being and asking for my soul to reveal its hidden secrets to me. no, now is the time for living. and i mean living life to the fullest. now, is the time to grow and build and become. now is the time to do things.
with a blank slate before me, i have been thinking about what paradise would look like for me this year. i went to handy dandy pinterest and my journal to gather images, words, and symbols that speak to my soul. i suppose it has been my version of vision-boarding. anyway, here are some of the things that i hope to make part of my paradise in 2014:
a wild year.
a spiritual year.
a magical year.
a simple year.
a healthy year.
a wandering year.
a passionate year.
one more thing about paradise: yes, the word inspires and challenges me to make my life exactly how i want it to be… to live the life i want to live and to actively make that happen. but, it is also all about understanding, realizing, and be aware that paradise is already right here, right now. it is within. it is only a matter of opening my eyes, slowing down to breathe and recognize the beauty in the present moment – and celebrating every single day.
so, ultimately 2014 is about creating balance – and that creates paradise. it is a balanced life of staying connected and grounded (and for me that is through mediation, etc.) and staying active (using the inspiration i receive through meditation, etc.) to create the paradise i dream of.
what about you? have you chosen a word or a phrase for 2014? what is it? share with me… let’s inspire each other! wishing you the happiest, most adventurous, and beautiful 2014!
Liz, it’s been a while since I left a comment here but I wanted to take a moment to wish you a very happy 2014 full of blessings and abundance.
I also wanted to reach out to say thank you. Ever since I miraculously stumbled onto your blog, you have been an inspiration. You are so full of love and life and I found this both refreshing and amazing; that no matter what happens or happened, you neither let people nor circumstances take away your bliss.
Thank you, Liz, for inspiring me and for being a dear friend.
Happy New Year.
Dylan,
It is so wonderful to hear from you! I have thought about you often and wondered how things are going for you. Are you healing and feeling better? How’s the job situation? etc…
What an unbelievably kind comment you have left me. Such a gift. I could not ask for anything more than to hear that the things I say and write have a positive affect on others.
I wish you all the best in this New Year. May the hope and peace of the universe shine brightly on you. And remember, I am always only an email away… ready to listen any time. xo
Liz, it’s been a while since I left a comment here but I wanted to take a moment to wish you a very happy 2014 full of blessings and abundance.
I also wanted to reach out to say thank you. Ever since I miraculously stumbled onto your blog, you have been an inspiration. You are so full of love and life and I found this both refreshing and amazing; that no matter what happens or happened, you neither let people nor circumstances take away your bliss.
Thank you, Liz, for inspiring me and for being a dear friend.
Happy New Year.
Great idea!
I never make New Year resolutions, but choosing a word for a new year makes sense to me.
I thought about this on my plane trip back home on New Year’s Day and decided that I should first find a word for the last few and then pick one for the upcoming year.
Here’s my list:
2011 Write
2012 Survive
2013 Rebuild
2014 Blissful
I just read the book “Secret HERO” by Rhonda Byrne, so I decided to make a big optimistic choice for this year.
Happy New Year!
Thank you for your comment! I am not a resolution person either. I set a focus and perhaps some goals, but there are no rules… just inspiration I am looking for, a way to bring meaning to my year (and life). I am so excited that you were inspired to pick a few words for the past couple of years! And what great words they are. If you check the upper right corner of my blog, you’ll see that I have a tab that says “word of the year”. If you click on it, you will see the words that I have had the past few years. Bliss was one of mine – it’s a great focus word!
I wish you a year filled with blissful moments.
What a beautiful post! Thank you so much for sharing this delightful and uplifting salute to 2014, and your word! I’m still considering mine and will post about it soon ~ and you have inspired me tremendously. Thanks again, and Happy New Year to you 🙂 Hugs, Gina
Oh, how wonderful that you are in the midst of discovering your word! I must go over and see if you have come up with anything. 🙂 I am sure it will be likewise inspiring. xo
Awesome post! Great word, and great images / inspiration! Good god I love pinterest!
I think I feel simlarly to you… so much good shit happened last year, this year I want to soak in the starts of all that, build on them, and start to consolidate all the things I’ve learnt so in the future I’ll be good for whatever’s next but I want to also, allow myself this year, to soak up the now a bit more, and slow my pace!!
Oh, I know. I am close to printing out a bunch of images and creating a mood board or something, just to have something pretty to look at. 😉
Yes! Soak it all up! I can feel that that is exactly where you are. Enjoy all the squishy, lovely, snuggly, amazing moments. xx
Liz, This is one of my very favorite year-end wrap-ups. You are so amazingly creative. 🙂 Here’s to a fabulous 2014. ~Terri
Oh, Terri, thank you so much for your comment! It’s gonna be a great year for us both! Can’t wait to read more about your adventures and travels.