Planting seeds of intention
Happy New Year!
I hope in these last few days or weeks that you've found time to celebrate, to rest, to reflect, to envision, to engage in the practices that nourish and inspire you.
In the last several years, I've moved away from the tradition of creating a resolution for my upcoming year and moved into a practice of defining a word for the year. This particular practice was first introduced to me by Laurel Van Matre, a yoga teacher and founder of Yoga Garden Studio in Minneapolis.
Every year around the winter solstice, Laurel would teach a class dedicated to defining your word. You would share your word, and then she would create these beautiful signs featuring each word, which would live on the altar in the studio for the upcoming year. Each time I visited the studio while traveling to Minneapolis, I would delight in seeing my word in the company of so many others.
Even though I haven’t visited Yoga Garden for a few years, selecting a word of the year is a tradition I've kept going.
Over coffee and crullers in late December, I talked with a good friend about words of the year, and he shared his practice of selecting a slogan. A short phrase that is a bit of a rallying cry for the year ahead. This idea resonated with me as well.
And so as the final days of last year passed, I found myself chewing on words. What word, expression, idea might I carry with me into this year?
Through reflection, conversations with friends, and simply observing, I landed on a word and a motto for my year.
My word: Expand
My motto: Just go for it
Expand captures my intention to expand my community, expand the ways I work and collaborate with others, expand the ways and types of classes I teach, and expand my writing through more long-form expression. And this expansion is toned by my motto of “just go for it.” It’s a reminder to leap, to try, to experiment from a place of joy and curiosity. And not to get trapped in things like insecurity, self-consciousness, or perfectionism.
I found myself energized by this combination of a word and motto and I began to wonder what those in my life might choose. Over the last few days, I've reached out to friends and family with a simple request: As we embark on a new year, I'm curious if you have a theme, word, or slogan for your year.
I was inspired by the responses. Some folks had clearly identified a phrase or word and were eager to share. Others were still in the process of gestating, still reflecting on the past year, and opening to what this year might hold. But in all cases, I was met with enthusiasm and curiosity. I shared my word and motto with friends and an unexpected thing started happening. By sharing my intentions, I found support in my community.
Often, there is advice to share your resolutions and find someone to keep you accountable. I’m finding with the sharing of words, mottos, slogans, or themes something else is emerging. By sharing with others, I see myself planting these intentions in the nourishing soil of my community. I know that throughout the year, folks may check in from time to time to see how this intention is sprouting, extending, even blossoming. And I know that I’ll check in with them, too. It’s less about accountability and more about nurturing.
And so I offer you the same prompt. I invite you to share your word, slogan, theme, or motto in the comments, not so much to be held accountable but to be nurtured. To plant a seed of an intention of something you wish to cultivate, bring attention to, or grow.
And if you're at a loss for how to select a word, slogan, or motto, here are a few ways to get started.
Spend some time with a dictionary or thesaurus. Lately, I’ve been a big fan of the OneLook Thesaurus, especially the “related words” feature.
I’ve come to cherish Katherine May’s Sunday writing prompts, and this post includes some rich territory for reflection and aiding in defining a word or theme.
Madeleine Dore, author of I Didn’t Do the Thing Today, shared her step-by-step approach to selecting a word for the year.
Take time, explore, and I hope you share!
✌🏻+💗