A friend of mine recently asked me what my word for 2023 was going to be, and I thought this was such a cool way to look forward to the New Year without the pressure of goals or resolutions.
To be fair, I do love a good vision board. My family and I used to sit together every year around this time and put together dream boards of what we were hoping for in the coming year. I think goals, aspirations, and resolutions can be great, but I think sometimes they have a tendency to make me hyper–focused on outcomes rather than the journey at hand.
I love the concept of choosing a word because words have so many meanings. The word I choose today could look totally different to me in a year, and relinquishing control of what that has to look like is very freeing and empowering.
So, what will my word for 2023 be? I’ve been thinking about it a lot, and I’ve decided it’s going to be Truth.
The reason I chose truth as my word for 2023 is because I love the fact that it is a double entendre when I view it as it pertains to the outside world, and to myself.
I am a big believer that what we put out into the universe comes back to us tenfold—good, bad, and everything in–between. When we lead with the truth, and when we act with honor, truth and honor come back to us in some way, shape, or form.
I can’t control what other people put out into the world about me, and for the last couple of years it has been really hard to watch my name and reputation get thrown around online for entertainment. It’s a formative experience to watch strangers who don’t know you or your heart make videos and comments about your life, most of them forgetting you are, in fact, a person and not a fictional character. There have been many times I’ve wanted to comment, respond, or reach out to people about why they’ve said these hurtful things, or why they’re so quick to form an opinion on someone they’ve never met. As I’ve learned, though, that effort is pretty useless, and one thing I’ll be looking forward to in 2023 is shifting my perspective from “Someday they’llknow the truth about me,” to, “I know the truth about me. That brings me peace.”
The other way I interpret this word for the year ahead is how moving further into my truth inspires me. Who am I? What excites me? What makes me feel fulfilled? Who helps me enjoy life? How can I do more of the things I love in different ways?
When we view truth as a means to better understand ourselves and our purpose, we give ourselves the opportunity to get to know ourselves on a deeper, more interesting level. I think it’s important to take inventory in your life regularly, not just on New Year’s, to ask ourselves, “Are the relationships, opportunities, and activities I am engaging in building me up or breaking me down?” Then, we have to be honest with the answers. I’m looking forward to diving deeper into my own truth this year and letting it bring more joy and meaning to my life.
If you’re setting goals for the New Year, make sure they’re rooted in your truth, and I highly recommend choosing a word for yourself! I’m excited to use it as a grounding mantra throughout 2023 and I think you should, too. Remember, no matter how you choose to celebrate the end of 2022 and the dawn of 2023, your year, and life, are what you make of them.<3
