The Word: 2018

My word of the year generally makes itself known to me around the end of November or start of December. This year, it was much harder to tease it out. There were a lot of thoughts swirling around in my head, and I reached November feeling pretty battered and bruised.

Illuminate proved to be a lot more intense that I had anticipated, and I knew that I needed to really absorb and live the big lessons I learnt, to stand more fully in my power, to reclaim my sovereignty. I felt the need, too, to step up and show up – there are so many ways in which I still hold myself back, allowing my inner critic, Prissy Missy, to have full reign over deciding what I can and cannot do.

And at the same time, I felt the need for some gentleness in the way the year unfolds.

Finding a word that embraces all of these asks wasn’t easy, and when the word first appeared, I didn’t think it was “the one”. But as I worked through various words, teasing out what they mean to me, they all fell flat. And this word kept rising up to the surface. As I started writing about it, the floodgates of feelings, associations, and emotions opened up, and I knew it was The Word.

Word of the year 2018 BloomBLOOM

That’s my word for 2018.

It encompasses everything I was thinking of – bravery, sovereignty, just being, visibility, gentleness, beauty, and more.

I can’t wait to see what magic we create together!

What’s your word of the year? Do tell me in the comments!

Still to find your word of the year? Download the Decoding the Year workbook – it’s designed to help you reflect on the year gone by, plan for the year to come, and choose a word for the year!

Posted in Year-end wrap-up and tagged , , , , .

I’m an artist and art educator, podcaster, tarot reader, and writer. I share my discoveries along the path to inspire you to live a more creative, soul-centered life. Receive my love letters for more of my musings on life and creativity. P.S. I love Instagram - join me there?

26 Comments

  1. That’s such a lovely word – full of optimism and happiness and perhaps, because I associate it with flowers, colour and happiness too. Hope you have a wonderful New Year with all that word stands for and more.

  2. Ah that’s such happy word! I can already envison how positively it could affect someone. Looking forward to more color and cheer in your posts!

  3. BLOOM….such a beautiful word – something we need to do after years of holding ourselves back.
    Wishing you a beautiful year ahead, Shinjini. a year that helps you really bloom in every aspect of your life!

  4. Such a perfect word for you. May you bloom in everything you do!
    I have a phrase for this year, to ‘create with confidence’, which also extends to share and promote your work with confidence and to not let self doubt pull you down.

  5. Oh that’s a lovely word. I like it. Bloom has such a freshness to it. My word is elusive this year – perhaps I’m not meant to have one or maybe I should choose Nice-Surprises!

  6. Mine is sparkle, as I wish to sparkle my joy and vibrant self and share the with everyone I can. I love Bloom, it really does encompass so much. You are such an inspiration. Thank you for sharing with #ablogginggoodtime

  7. popping back to say Congratulations you are my featured blogger on #ablogginggoodtime this week! Please stop by Thursday to grab your badge xx

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