For Christmas, a dear friend gave me Susannah Conway‘s wonderful workbook called Unravelling the Year Ahead: 2015. I spend the evening hunched over the book, thinking and writing.
One of the questions that I’d like to share with you is: What is your Word for 2015? Susannah suggests choosing a word that will guide you through the year, a word that makes you feel expanded and inspired.
I scribble options in the margins. Words like Courage and Love, Peace, Presence and Abundance.
But the word that’s right for my coming year is Free. I feel light and optimistic as I scrawl these four letters onto the page.
Recently, I was in a situation where I felt trapped. I wanted out. I wanted to scream and rebel. But I struggled against guilt and obligation. I longed to flee the person, the place, and most importantly, the emotions that arose in me.
However I realised that, instead of complaining, blaming and running, I had to look at myself. These terrifying feelings were hiding in my inner shadows and this event simply shone a light on them so that I could examine them. And rather than resist these feelings, I had to accept them and love myself (and the other person) anyway. I understood that if I didn’t deal with my own issues, the same experience would repeat itself again and again.
So this coming year, my word is Free. It doesn’t matter where I am, what I’m doing, or who I’m with. I can choose to feel free in any given moment.
The following question is: If you lived and breathed your Word every day in 2015, what would be different for you?
If I lived and breathed FREE every single day, I would be doing things out of choice, enjoyment, love and independence. There would be no need or attachment, resentment or fear. I would stop labelling and limiting, blocking and restricting. I would be happier. I would live in the flow. I could do anything. I could be anything.
What is your Word for 2015? Then ask yourself these four questions:
- If you lived and breathed your Word every day in 2015, what would be different for you?
- List some ways you are already being/experiencing this Word.
- What can you do this year to bring more of your Word into your world?
- Choose four more words to support your Word this year. They could be anything from inspiring words to names of people to things you want to invest in…