New year, new list, new word

No resolutions, try one word instead.

January Sunrise © Kathryn LeRoy

Hello friends,

We are only seven days into 2023, and I have already created more “to do’s” on my list than there are days in the year. That’s not unusual for me.

I’ve always been a list maker. The problem: doing what’s on that list.

For the past week, I’ve come across numerous articles on the pros and cons of New Year Resolutions. I gave up on resolutions and now opt for one intention for the year.

My intention stems from identifying a word that becomes the focal point for my reading, photography, learning, and striving toward becoming a better version of myself.

In 2022, I focused on wonder. The aftermath of a worldwide pandemic left me wanting to find joy and hope in the wonder of life itself—smiles, sunsets, and moments with friends and family.

I don’t have a process for identifying the word, although I have taken suggestions from various sources. I discovered that forcing ideas never resulted in finding the concepts that mattered most to me.

If you’ve never heard of choosing a word for the year or found a need, that’s okay. Perhaps this is the time and year to explore the possibility. A simple search on Google will lead you to more than you would ever need to know to choose a word.

Me? My word finds me. Call it serendipity, magic, or crazy, somewhere around December, an idea, or a word, will start following me. No, I think stalk might be a better description.

Finally, I give the word life by writing it on paper and jotting ideas about the concept. That word won’t let go until I succumb and agree this is where I need to go in the coming year.

What chased me down for 2023?

Center.

This year, I will explore what it means to be centered, grounded in my beliefs and values, and make choices based on who I am at my core. I know that sounds way too deep and philosophical, and woo-woo.

Let’s back up. Maybe I’ll simply begin with a short list of actions and a poem.

Three actions:

1. Breathe deeply and pay attention to the wonder around me.

2. List what I’m grateful for every day.

3. Live in the present moment without regrets.

A poem:

And that list? I’ll tackle each “to do” one step at a time. What if some don’t get done? Maybe those weren’t important after all.

This is how wonder became a word worthy of a year in 2022.

Tamara Letter shares her One Word for 2023.

A song for coming to the world just as you are, “This Is Me.”

When it’s over, I want to say all my life I was a bride married to amazement.
—Mary Oliver

January Wolf Moon © Kathryn LeRoy

Happy New Year, friends, and I wish you much joy and peace at the center of your life.

With gratitude,

Kathryn

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