Happy New Year, my people! As you probably know by now (especially my old readers), over the past few years, I have chosen a WOTY (word of the year) and I try to stick with it as a theme, a focus, or a drive for the year ahead. My past words have been love, hope, and peace.
It’s more of an intention than a new year’s resolution, and I try to have fun during the year by finding ways to use my word. Whatever I do, I try to be in line and have fun with my WOTY.
So here we are in 2023. Once again I’ve given some thought to what one word will set the course of the year ahead and I have chosen;
FREEDOM.
And believe me, I've chosen my word of the year since the beginning of the year. I was only looking for Chandler Moore’s music to listen to this morning. He is a great singer! I found his essentials on Apple Music and decided to give it a listen, which led me to the song above! Let’s just say it gave me a push to actually write.
What does freedom mean? Oxford dictionary defines it this way;
The power or right to act, speak or think as one wants without any hindrance or restraint.
Absence of subjection to foreign domination.
A state of not being imprisoned or enslaved.
To me, freedom is a state of mind. As humans, we tend to thrive when given the freedom to explore a wide array of interests without any constraint or obligation to stick with any of them. We are always looking to break free from something, so we tend to explore.
Freedom can relate to creativity, food, ideas, travel, books, music, exercise, relationships, fun, and so on. It’s a word that exudes adventure. I’ll be exploring my options this year with;
Try something different.
Read more books.
Self-exploration is a concept that interests me.
Being curious is a way to extend my knowledge.
Go out more.
Strengthen my relationship with friends.
Learn to fly.
Fly away (literally).
“With freedom, flowers, books, and the moon, who could not be happy?” —Oscar Wilde
Why did I choose a WOTY?
It’s a really fun way to set your intentions and theme for the New Year, or any other life event for that matter. Instead of a rigid New Year’s Resolution, a word of the year is a constant, yet gentle reminder to focus on creating positive change. Resolutions, or starting over, seem like too much hard work to me, and I just need to tweak a few things and keep my focus. Having a word of the year helps me do this.
Choosing a WOTY is a form of mindfulness.
So what’s next?
I’m not exactly sure how it will go this year, but I’ll try to be happy, have fun, and incorporate a sense of adventure into everything I do this year. I will keep updating you, so watch this space.
What about you?
Do you do something similar each year? I’m interested to know what you do or what you would choose.
Tell me in the comment section!
See you, xoxo 🫶🏾.
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