Claiming My Words for the Year
In December, while perusing Instagram, I stumbled on this post from Branden Collinsworth. I love these types of graphics where there is a jumble of letters and the first word you pick out is cosmically meant for you. Some might scour the image to find just the word they want, but I think letting fate play is much more enjoyable. So, while preparing for the new year, I saw this and immediately gasped in excitement.
The rule for this particular game was to list the first FOUR words you find, so I stared at the block of text and wrote down what appeared. Later, I looked it over and saw all the possible words that could have shown themselves to me, and I genuinely think that I saw exactly what I needed at this specific point in my life.
These are the words I saw:
Change [cheynj]
verb: to transform or convert; to become different, to become altered or modified
noun: the act of changing; a transformation or modification
Strength [strenkth, strength]
noun: the quality or state of being strong; mental power, force, or vigor; power by reason of influence, authority, resources, numbers
Breakthrough [breyk-throo]
noun: an act of removing or surpassing an obstruction or restriction; any significant or sudden advance, development, or achievement
Alignment [uh-lahyn-muhnt]
noun: an adjustment to a line; arrangement in a straight line; a state of agreement or cooperation
The point of choosing a word for your year is not to force yourself onto a specific path because of your interpretation of said word. The intent is to meditate on that word and allow it to show you what it could mean in your life. Until 2019, I’d choose a word every year and write an essay about it that I shared on an old blog platform, but then the pandemic hit and it seemed a futile tradition.
The past few years of being locked down took a major toll on my mental health and productivity. I was aimless and didn’t know which side was up anymore. I definitely needed (and wanted) to find some meaning in my days, my weeks, and my months, and feel like I had contributed something to the world at the end of the year. So, when, in December, I saw this Instagram post, I knew it was a sign that I had found the words that would guide me in 2023.
While the pandemic is still a thing, at least for those of us who have chronic illnesses and must remain sheltered and protected, I knew that I needed to break out of the stagnancy and restlessness that I had been feeling. With these words in mind, I set some enormous goals for my year, in my personal mental health journey, in my professional life, in relationships, and in the way in which I approach the world around me.
Looking at these four words, I knew it would be tough sometimes. Change and breakthrough come along with hard work and a lot of uncomfortable emotions, and it was through that, I would find strength and alignment in my life. Just what I needed. I don’t know if this is a process that I’ll write about more on this platform or just in my private writing, but I’m excited to see where this new year takes me.
