The Word

Happy New Year!

First, I must offer up this reminder, so that no one gets sad that they missed out:
The January 2018 post-holiday Body Sass® Cleanse Group Program registration will remain open until tomorrow Tuesday 1/2 at noon ET. In less than 24 hours, the gates close. Program starts this Saturday 1/6. Support your body’s ability to heal, recalibrate, and move closer to VIBRANT. Click HERE to join us! xo

Now, on to a January 1 servin’ of Soul Food to start your 2018 🙂

New Year’s Morning

New Year’s morning is one my favorite times of the year. I’m not a big party gal, so I wake up on the earlier side (for New Year’s) and am feeling rested and good. And the world is very, very quiet. Which I so love. I live in New England, USA, so it’s winter—cold and often snowy. Today it’s both. Like a frozen dreamland.

I had this idea that I was going to start my 2018 with a walk in the snowy woods. When I got up and looked at the temperature, it was -2 degrees fahrenheit. Now, I have friends who live in Canada or the upper Midwest who would laugh in the face of -2. They are often waking up to -40 or so. But in my little New England world, -2 can seem a little daunting for a woods walk. Hm.

Then, I decided that the icy temperature would make my walk that much more quiet and special, and that I just needed to double-up on the layers. Off I went, and it was absolute heaven. It was so quiet. Even the birds were quiet (because they were all snuggled up with their bird friends trying not to freeze their tail feathers off!). The only sound was the creaking of the tall white pines as the occassional wind (brrrr!) stirred their tops.

I came around a bend to the sight of the sun rising over the fir trees lining a frozen, snowy pond. I took off my two layers of gloves/mittens to snap a picture, so you could enjoy it too. And I started wondering what the word would be this year.

New Year’s Thoughts

Some background. I’ve written in previous blog posts, like HERE, as to why New Year’s Resolutions fail. I do like the idea of a re-fresh and re-focus at the New Year, and most often have a pretty introspective few weeks where I look at my personal and work goals for the prior year.

I celebrate my accomplishments and what worked. I look at what didn’t happen or didn’t work and sit with why that might be. There’s no judgement (any more). Just wondering if I didn’t try hard enough, or if I tried too hard, or if I underestimated the effort involved, or if I needed different tools or a different approach, or if my goals simply changed mid-stream. Then I look at what might be interesting to move toward for 2018, both personally and professionally. It’s an enjoyable, sometimes difficult, and always-inspiring process, and I love it.

What is “The Word?”

And, one very simple thing that I do, that many of my clients and students have loved and taken on for themselves, is reflecting on what The Word will be for the New Year. What is a word, or words, that I want to be the backbone of my year?

A few years ago, it was “ease.” Ease in my approach with myself, with others, and more ease around how my drive in my work gets translated into my personal life. Another year it was “freedom.” Freedom from cultural constructs that don’t suit me; freedom from suffering that is created internally; freedom from “it’s never enough.” (The most inaccurate and boring three words ever.)

Sometimes it’s a few words. A few words that compliment and support each other, like “open and receive,” or a few words because I’m feeling greedy and just want more than one word 😉 And sometimes The Word changes during the year. And most often, the previous years’ words don’t go away, they simply become a vertebrae in the backbone of my desire to live intentionally.

Know this. It would be a rare person that could say “Yo! The Word for this year is “relax!” and then end that year as this totally relaxed dude/dudette. The Word isn’t a GOAL, per se, it’s more of a FOCUS. An intention. A guidepost on my life Journey. And I write it down, and repeat it often, including as part of my meditation practice, or when I’m walking in the woods or on the rocky Maine coastline.

I’m not sure yet what this year’s word will be. A top contender is “receptivity.” It feels like an important one as I look to complete and publish my book this year. And there are other words in the running too. As with many things, I’ve learned to love the process. Which is a big deal for a goal-oriented person! Maybe the year of “ease” helped 😉

What will The Word be for you this year? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below, where fun and interesting conversations can happen.

Happy New Year, sweet peeps. Thank you for your contributions & feedback, for your support, and for whatever self-care you created for yourself this year. Bravo!

With love and reflection,
Laurie