This year I chose to only define one single word to guide my through the next twelve months. This word would somehow sit in the background of my daily living, but hopefully also serve to carry me through times of struggle, crisis and doubt. To find this single word – I like to think of it as my personal ‘mantra‘ for 2017 – I got out a blank sheet of paper, and brainstormed on the following areas:
- my career
- my family
- friends
- my partnership
- health + wellbeing
- hobbies + interests
- personal style
- something new
The challenge in asking and answering questions related to each of these different areas, i.e. “In my career I want to ………….”, “Regarding my family I will ………….”, “To improve my health and wellbeing I will ………….”, “Together with my husband I look forward to ………….”, was to listen inwardly, be radically honest and open for anything that surfaced, thereby finding traces and words that came straight from an interior place, a deeper wisdom than the rational thinking of the mind.
The next and final step was to choose one word that seemed to stand out from all the different areas, and that somehow speaks to the heart. Recalling this mantra would guide me through the new year.
After having completed this short writing task, I sat back and looked at what I had scribbled down, and what stood out were two things: Firstly, I frequently used words like “luscious, vibrant, authentic, inspired, alive“, and secondly that rather that asking for more, in almost every area I had asked for “less” – less struggle, less pressure, less responsibility. Instead I seemed to long for RELEASE and RENEWAL on many different levels.
So the word I chose to be the word to inspire me and guide me through the year ahead is:
release
I have been “holding” this word since and have been allowing it to infuse my actions and choices, and although it’s still early days, I can already feel it’s powerful magic. Maybe you feel inspired to define your personal mantra for the year 2017?