Happy 2023! These days, when greeting people right after New Year, I find it’s not uncommon to exchange “words.” Selecting a word for the year (WOTY) has become common practice! It was a year that began with a lot of uncertainty. I had left my long-term corporate career as a textile designer, and though I was finding my way, I was still far from confident in my future. I began setting an intention for my year by selecting a word; that year, I needed clarity. By the end of the year, I had launched my business, firmly stepped away from my corporate career, and permitted myself to be with unknowing as things came into focus. The results of selecting a word was powerful, and the practice has stayed with me.
In 2022, I began the year needing HOPE. Strangely, I selected the word before things started to get crazy in our lives. I just figured that after two years of being worn down by the pandemic and grad school, I needed hope.
I needed to be in a mind state of hope.
I needed to act in hope.
I learned to live in a state of hope, to remember to be hopeful, and to take actions that lead to hopeful outcomes!
HOPE became a practice.
As I reflected on my capacity to carry hope with me, I realized that I wanted more. I wanted something more expansive, light, and inspiring. I thought about the word inspiration and realized that I was trying to get deeper to our source of inspiration and oftentimes, that is what delights us.
I want to live in Delight!
Having my 4-year-old nephew with me over the holidays was a wonderful reminder that the delight children live with (much of the time). I asked myself if I could just recapture some of that every day.
Yes, I believe I can live in delight! It’s a practice and my intention for 2023. I will spend the next year playing with, noticing, cultivating, discovering, and pursuing what is a delight.
Delight is everywhere! It’s a matter of noticing and finding gratitude for what is delightful.
Reflecting on the past DECADE of my practice of selecting a WOTY, here are some of my previous words. I love how they connect and flow into one another.
2011: CLARITY
2012: SOAR
2013: RADIANT
2014: PLAY
2015: CHOICE
2016: HARMONY
2017: ACCEPTANCE
2018: FEARLESS
2019: INTENTION
2020: INTEGRATION
2021: POSSIBILITY
2022: HOPE
2023: DELIGHT
Word Cloud Created with Thinkmap: https://www.visualthesaurus.com/
I would love to hear your thoughts on the word of the year process (WOTY). Hit reply and let me know your word (s).
Thank you for sharing your WOTY for this past decade. I am pondering a couple of words and I shall share with you when “I” KNOW which one speaks to me more clearly! Thank you again!
I can’t wait to learn what it is Sylvia!
Your writing is always a DELIGHT! My WOTY is ENCHANTMENT
Why thank you Stephaney!