Word of the Year for 2023

 

What a year 2022 was, am I right?  It was an interesting one for me as far as my word went. That word was build.  I won't go into all  the details but if you want them, they are in lasts years post.

As usual, the year and my word looked very different to what I had envisioned. I had wanted to build a new habit each month but I found that feeling tedious and without a natural flow so I abandoned it in June.  I was totally ok with that. These words are meant to be life giving and enriching, not restrictive.

As for the rest of it, I feel I did build on things I had previously learned.  But I feel like I am always doing that. That's what life is, right? Learning.

As I reflect on the year gone, I feel a sense of having had to tear some things down as a foundation for future building that will happen. One example of that process is making the decision and resigning from my job of sixteen years.  It wasn't a job I ever saw myself resigning from but life had different plans and here we are.  That didn't feel like building. Not at the time. It felt like tearing down. It felt like giving up. But now, I see the wisdom in it. And I see why it was right, even when it felt hard.  Even as I have grieved the loss.

Looking forward to this year.  My 50th year of life! I am excited.

I have been thinking about my word for this year for some time now.  I had a word chosen a few months ago ... and for the life of me, I cannot remember what it was! It was something that I thought might be exciting, like 2021 when my word was new.  That was my favourite word thus far! It will be hard one to top.

The fact that I can't remember the word I had all but chosen is a pretty good indicator that it isn't the right word for me for this year!

Just a couple of days ago, I was having a shower (anyone else have great moments of inspiration in the shower? ) and it was like a word just dropped into my mind and I knew!  I knew that it would be my word for 2023! 

The word is WALK.

Sure, there is physical walking, which will play a large part in this year ... but what I'm most excited about is the walking out of the big changes that are ahead for us.  I can't share what they are just yet but they are imminent and we are excited.  We are already walking out the beginning stages.

I love this definition of walk ... to move along by putting one foot in front of the other, allowing each foot to touch the ground before lifting the next.

I feel like this is what is coming for us ... putting one foot in front of the other.  Step by step.  Allowing each foot to touch the ground before lifting the next.  So ... there is motion, but there is also order and pace.  Sometimes the walk is slow and steady ... sometimes it's fast.  I feel like there will be seasons of both for us this year. 

The photo I chose ... of my muddy feet ... is a reminder to me that walking can be uncertain and full of surprises.  It's from a walk Rory and I took in January last year.  We just hit the local botanic gardens for a quick walk.  We had read that it was an easy walk so we just threw on our thongs and off we went.  What it turned out to be was MUDDY!  A beautiful muddy walk through the trees that took us completely by surprise.

I imagine this year may have some beautiful, but muddy, surprising steps along the way.  

I'm ready to walk them all.