It’s funny how we can take to some rituals like a duck to water. After spending decades setting resolutions – and promptly breaking them – I stumbled upon the concept of a word of the year and it just…clicked. There’s a delicious expansiveness to choosing a word as a touchstone for the year as opposed to setting resolutions. Where one is focused on a singular outcome, which means you can either keep your resolution or break it, the other encompasses myriad possibilities and unfolds in, sometimes, unexpected ways.
So, here I am, five years after I first stumbled upon the idea of choosing a word of the year. And what a ride these five years have been! If there is one thing I’ve learnt over these years, it is this:
Words are spells. They have an inherent magic and power that can work in ways you may never have anticipated to bring you the exact medicine you need at any point of time. Click To Tweet
Choosing my word of the year
After the gentle ministrations of BLOOM, which gifted me with some beautiful shifts and a number of tiny new seeds, it feels like it’s time to really allow myself to grow…to expand…to…
FLOURISH. That’s my word for 2019. It feels like a beautiful continuation of everything that I achieved last year, and holds space for me to plant and nurture some of the new idea seeds from last year.
Some of those seeds are personal – related to my spiritual and art practice. Others are related to this little online sanctuary that I’m building, and I’ll share some snippets of the overarching themes that I’m hoping to work with this year.
Do you have a word of the year? Do share it with me in the comments!
Still to find a 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! Enter your email address in the form below, and I’ll pop it right over to you!
(Email box not showing up? Click here to download the workbook)
I completely agree with you about the word versus resolutions. Somehow the word is more reassuring and comforting rather than the resolutions which seem more threatening especially as they get more impossible to fulfill . My WOTY is refresh – I need to refresh and reinvigorate many things in my life – myblog being one of them. I hope to be more organised and get rid of the clutter and blockages it head …. this year hasn’t had the best start but often bad starts augur a great end ! Good luck to you for 2019.
Yup! I’ve failed at resolutions so many times I’ve lost count of it! Intentions and words are a lot more expansive and leave some space for synchronicity and happy adventures. Refresh is a lovely word! I hope you’re able to accomplish all that you wish to. Hope you have a magical 2019!
Love the word – it was mine in 2017 and I do think it helped. I looked at it from a positive psychology perspective! I hope you flourish in 2019! 🙂
What a lovely coincidence! And thank you, Sanch!! Hope you have a stellar 2019! xx
I just wrote a post on why having intentions are better than resolutions – more expansive, less dictatorial. My word for 2019 is free. Quite enjoyed doing the workbook. A wonderful evening spent ?
Oh wonderful! I will hop over and read it. That’s a lovely word for the year – I hope it serves you well!! And I’m so thrilled that you enjoyed the workbook!! <3
Words are spells. Cant agree you more Shinjini. The power they wield is mightier than sword.
Loved your choice of WOTY. Wishing you a whole new set of 52 weeks (rather 51 now) filled with happiness, health and wealth, in short may you flourish!
Thank you, Anagha! I hope 2019 is spectacular for you as well! <3
Flourish is a gorgeous, gorgeous word. There’s a richness to it, a texture, an emotion that any other word fails to capture. It’s filled with purpose, determination and a willingness to break free of barriers. Wishing you a wonderful year filled with many flourishing moments, tons of growth personally and spiritually and lots to carry you into the year and beyond.
Happy 2019!
Such a beautiful word and so well thought of! It is definitely filled with a sense of purpose as Shy says here.
Mine is Simplify. After a very chaotic 2018, it was time I simplify my life and everything else around it.
Happy 2019 to you, Shinjini. May you flourish and prosper!
It is nice to know 2018 worked for you and gave you new seeds to sow. May the sprouts from your seeds flourish well in 2019 to grow into fine plants, expand their branches and become fruit bearing trees.
Flourish…. that’s such an empowering word. May you grow, thrive and flourish in every sphere of your life, Shinjini. I have chosen Focus to guide me in 2019.
First of all Shinj, I love your writing style. There is so much character and uniqueness to it.
Flourish is fantastic. It’s all about blooming and growing positively. I wish you loads of luck and progressive transformation in the brand new year. <3
Love your word! And may you flourish, dear soul sister.
My word for the last two years has been ‘flow’ and I’m continuing with it this year as well.
What a beautiful word. And I love that it follows so beautifully from bloom. With all that amazing things that you do Shinjini, I am confident it will be a great year. Good luck and my best always.