What's Your Word in 2023?

I'm a "word" kind of girl. I believe that single words and phrases, like affirmations, can be powerful IF you know how to unlock them, infuse feelings into them and build them into the fabric of your everyday life.

I love using affirmations to set

my daily intentions and to prime my mindset. There is something both empowering and calming about reminding myself that "I am enough as I am," or "I have plenty of time to do all that I want to do," or "My body is strong and powerful."

I also love choosing a single, "focus" WORD for the year. One that guides me throughout the year to look at my life and my circumstances through a lens that leads me to learn, make the best choices for myself and make changes where needed so that I can continually move toward the very best version of myself in any given moment.

In 2022, my word was WONDER. This word inspires me to look at life with awe as well as curiosity. For the longest time, I kept the word on a sticky note on my desk so that I was reminded daily to approach ALL circumstances with WONDER. When I was challenged, I asked myself how curiosity and wonder might help me. I did the same when life served up the very best, recognizing how WONDER has led me to appreciate my life and my experiences on a much deeper level. WONDER has added a bit of "magic" to my daily life and it has served as an anchor as well as a touchstone.

I am eternally grateful for WONDER. So much so that I'll be keeping it close and turning to it frequently in 2023 even as I add a new "word of the year."

And what is that word? Well, after some reflection and soul searching, the one word that keeps popping up for me is "YET."

Unlike the word WONDER, the word YET lacks any romantic, wide-eyed flare. It's simply three letters, Y. E. T.

But for me, it packs the punch of hope that I'm craving right now.

Let me explain.

2022 was filled with good stuff, blessings galore and new experiences to celebrate. There were also situations that I wish I had handled better. There were times of uneasiness during which I struggled to stay in faith and aligned with my beliefs. There were goals and dreams that I had imagined for myself that did not materialize.

Add that to a 60th birthday right around the corner and I started to notice sneaky new thoughts of "it's too late to start something new," "If you didn't do it already, there's no point in trying now," and "things are as good as they're going to get," creeping around in my mind.

It is in these moments that I would gather myself up and turn to my good friend, WONDER.

WONDER invited me to be in awe of the good stuff, the blessings and the new experiences to celebrate. WONDER also invited me to be curious about my troubling doubts and thoughts of "It's too late."

And it is WONDER, with all of its light and magical curiosity, that led me to the word YET.

The curiosity that WONDER encourages had me asking myself, "What if it's not too late to start something new?" "What if it's not too late to finish that project or achieve that goal?" "What if I decided that life could just keep getting better and better?"

And the key question, "How could I reframe my thoughts so that I knew in my entire being that I could still be, do and have everything I desire?"

And that's where YET comes in.

Instead of beating myself up over unmet goals, for instance, I'll remind myself of why my goal matters to me and that I can, of course, still accomplish it. It sounds something like this:

"That goal is important to me because ... and I haven't met it YET, but I will."

My word this year will help me keep the door open to all possibilities. I'm taking my age and stage of life out of the equation. I know I can accomplish anything, and anything that I haven't accomplished, I will. I just haven't, YET.

So what about you? What will your WORD be in 2023?

Tips on Discovering Your Word of the Year

• Find some quiet time to sit, meditate and reflect. Allow your heart and mind to be open and notice what comes in.

• Spend at least 5 minutes journaling immediately after you meditate. Write down any impressions or thoughts that came to you in the quiet. You may find that your word pops right out of you and onto the page (good for you!) or your word may take shape as you journal and you'll start to feel it more than see it on the page. Either way, trust yourself in the process and remember, there is no "wrong" way or "wrong" word.

• Have fun just noticing what words feel good to you. Try different words on for size. You'll know when it's right!

Side note - You can change your word, add words, have a word of the day, etc... You are the author of your own story, so do you! I like having an anchor word for the year, but I add different words depending on my mood or the day. I'll often set my intention for the day by choosing just a single word, but my word of the year is always there in the background.

Tips to Make Your Word More Powerful

How do you get to the point where your word has power?

• Once you have your word, write it down and return to it frequently! Put it on sticky notes and stick them wherever you will see them throughout the day. I like sticking the notes on my computer screen, my fridge, my bathroom mirror, my car dash - you get the idea!

• Add your word to your vision board.

• Create a fun graphic and set it as your homescreen.

• Set reminders on your phone that will encourage you to reflect on your word.

• Take time to journal about how your word impacted your day or about how you will use your word in your daily life.

With regular practice, it won't be long before you'll be looking at things through the lens of your word automatically - not always, of course, but often. When you're in a challenging situation, for example, you'll remember your word and take a fresh look at your circumstance, asking yourself questions and making statements that reflect your word. If your word is STRENGTH, for example, you may ask yourself, "How can I be strong for myself in this situation?" or tell yourself, "I am both loving and strong. This is how I show up for myself."

Find your word. Embrace your word. Let your word be your anchor and your touchstone in 2023. Be open to the magic and see what happens!

Happy, Happy New Year, Friends!

With Love,

Robin