For several years now, at the start of each new year, my sweetie and I have had the tradition of choosing one word to represent our intention for the entire year. (I originally heard of this idea in Leonie Dawson’s Creating Your Shining Life workbook, which I highly recommend if you don’t already have it!)

In 2012, I chose the word Soar. I had spent years hiding behind my gift company, and I was ready to step out into the world and break free of any fears that were holding me back. I wanted to connect with others and share my truth. I wanted to live a life where my soul got to soar! I wanted my dream life and my actual life to be one in the same!

The year was a flurry of activity and networking and meeting and connecting with so many new people. I got exactly what I asked for and achieved so many things that I had only dreamed of before, which I was really excited about. The only problem was that by the end of the year, I had spent so much time in motion that I had forgotten to take care of myself along the way.

And so, in 2013, I chose the word Nourish. I wanted it to be a year filled with extra self care, extra love, and extra rest and relaxation. And while I wouldn’t say that it was exactly how I had envisioned it, I did make more time than I had before for rest and pampering.

And then, at the end 2013, my sweet dog-ter, Xena, passed away from cancer. My heart was completely broken. I had never felt such a strong connection to an animal before. Our souls were (and still are) connected, and I could feel how our love would never go away. So the word I chose was Love. I spent most of the year grieving this huge loss and giving myself extra love and space to be exactly where I was. I received so many loving signs from her (almost daily) throughout the year, and it felt so good to know that she was still with me. But it also felt really sad. And it was such a heavy-hearted year for me where I spent almost every single day crying.

This year, I knew that I was ready to bring joy into my heart and life again. I felt ready to move forward with a lightness in my heart. I felt ready for a fresh start and for a big change. And so, I chose the word Light.

To me, Light represents two things: saying goodbye to heaviness and also embracing my connection to my soul and to the universe. 

I am so ready for this. I tend to be on the serious side, and I keep hearing my soul say that it’s time to have some fun – to lighten up, to embrace joy, to play, to laugh, and to feel free.

I just started my year of silence, and I am so happy to be going into it with this fresh perspective. I didn’t want the heaviness attached to it. I wanted being silent to be a treat – a way to connect with my soul and find peace in my heart. Not some sort of penance or punishment. And so, having Light as my word feels so wonderful in every way.

It makes me feel like I can fly. Not in the way that Soar did, but more in a spirit-filled, connected-to-everything kind of way. And that feels amazing. I look forward to seeing how Light shows up in my life and in my heart throughout the year.

How about you? Did you choose a word for the year? If so, I would love for you to share it in the comments below. And if not, I highly recommend you take some time to think about it. It’s such a great way to consciously create your life! 

Hugs,