What is your word of the year? Mine is FIRE!
Here we are on 1st January 2012…the much awaited year in metaphysical and new age circles and of course a huge year for my home city of London with the Olympics and the Queens Diamond Jubilee. It feels like a very auspicious year regardless of all the hype and circumstance and it looks like the shake-up that many experienced in 2011 is set to continue…and lead to transformation. The end of the world? Maybe metaphorically, but not actually! As R.E.M. sang in the 1980′s, “It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine”.
Anyway, as many of you know, I have a tradition now that I started several years ago or setting a one word intention/theme/quality for the year rather than setting specific resolutions and goals. I started this about 5 years ago and it has amazed me what transitions and transformations have happened as a result.
Why not Goals and Resolutions?
Resolutions usually fail in a cloud of good intention several days into January and even the strongest willed have usually given up by St Patrick’s Day (17th March). Resolutions are usually based on what people feel they should do or are based out of feeling bad about some aspect of themselves…rarely are they based on what people authentically want.
Goals on the other hand for me tend not to work as they are all about maintaining control. They are all about reaching a very specific place at a very specific time and don’t leave a lot of room for maneuvre. They work very well for some people but I am always sure that there is some piece of the picture that I may not have considered or that there is an outcome that is bigger and better than I can imagine right now. Also for me, it is as much about the journey as it is the destination.
Why a single word works for me
Choosing a single word for me seems to work really well as it opens me up to so many things that by myself I might not have considered. Also, as I get older, it is far easier for me to remember a single word than it is a whole bunch of goals! A word for the year is really a seed that I plant at the beginning of the year that allows me to grow, learn and explore and, almost astonishingly, accomplish a fair amount as well. When I get bogged down or things get hard, it is like a mantra that brings me right back to the heart of what and who I am and where I am heading. It also works on a subconscious level to keep my mind and Spirit focused on the big picture and attract in opportunities that carry me to my highest path and purpose.
The key here is choosing a word that is authentic, that truly resonates and brings clarity. In short it should really zing! It is often easy to choose fairly generic qualities such as Creativity or Play or Peace, but unless those words truly have meaning for you, they are unlikely to work as an intention. Pretty soon you will forget what you set. In the past few years I have used Release, Create, Voice and Luminescence. All of these have conjured up very specific feelings or images for me and have grown, changed and brought new awareness throughout the year.
I have even had other words come up during the year to help deepen the original word. For example, in the year of “Create”, the word “Excavate” came up as I needed to dig deep internally to exorcise several internal demons and bugbears. With that done, I was much more free to Create.
My word for 2012
My word for 2012 is FIRE. Nothing was really coming to me as it had in previous years though I know the focus of this year is really focusing and getting into action around my vocation. However, this word has been staring me in the face for weeks and after some soul-searching and muscle testing on the last evening of 2011, Fire emerged…and I couldn’t be more delighted.
For me, Fire is about burning bright, living from my Spirit, blazing through internal barriers, kindling the fire in my heart and spreading the fire to stoke the passion and Spirit in the hearts of others. It really is about getting out there beyond my comfort zone and living my vocation. Fire is one of my main astrological elements and is the element of Spirit and Inspiration in the Tarot. It is also something that can warm, can illuminate and can blaze. It is powerful, passionate and attractive in the deep dark winter nights. Maybe it will lead to a conflagration or a forest fire…but fire is also not something easily controlled…and something that I really need to do is let go of my need to control!
I know that there are many other directions and meanings for this word and I know that it is very significant in this very significant year…and I am looking forward to the adventure that this word will take me on!
Over to you
So there you have it, my word of the year. Now it is your turn. Don’t worry about getting it perfect. Sometimes a word comes in and only stays for a while…maybe only 6 months instead of the whole year. Remember the key is that is should be an authentic choice, something that zings and brings clarity for you. Have a go and put it out there. Plant the seed and wait to see what amazing adventure grows for 2012!
What is your one word intention/theme/goal/quality for 2012? Leave a comment below and let us know what word inspires you for this coming year!
Image credit Vibrant Spirit via Creative Commons on Flickr
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