My Word For 2023
2020 was the last time I picked a word for my year. And after all that 2020 became for us, I wasn't sure I would ever adopt this practice again. But as 2022 came to a close, one word kept chasing me around making it pretty clear that it was time to give the ol' word of the year another chance.
What's the point of a word for the year? Different people will tell you different things about how and why choosing a word for your year is meaningful. I've tried to lean into those definitions myself, but have never fully embraced someone else's defined expectation or formula for choosing a word so now I have my own reasons. Setting a word for my year has almost become a way of tuning a particular kind of background music to my year. You know how you watch a movie and the soundtrack sets the mood? It's kind of like that. I promise you I'll forget about my word at some point in the next 12 months - much like you forget the soundtrack is playing in a good movie - but it's going to be there. And at the end of the year, I'll look back and notice how things I controlled and things I didn't control fell in line with my word. I'll be in awe of the things I could have never planned. And I'll be proud of the ways I showed up for myself - even when I forgot I was supposed to.
So what's my 2023 word? Hang on I need to tell you a bit of backstory first...
I grew up in a tradition where knowing was good stuff. The more you know, the more you were sure of, the more you could state with absolute confidence and give a hearty defense for, the better. We are the ones good at arguing on the internet. Being not-so-sure was actually kind of embarrassing, or at least it felt that way to me. Not going to lie, there is still a part of me that really thrives in the certainty. Knowing exactly who I'm trying to please and then being able to look over my shoulder at the approving nods feels real good. Ignoring those inner parts of myself that know there's more complexity than I'll ever resolve in my lifetime feels good. Sounding smart and clever by offering quick answers to the problems and people in front of me feels really good. Apologetics and being able to fit God in my pocket (or my brain) feels really GOOD (and sometimes powerful too).
And now I'm here. On the other side of all of that... or something.
I have spent most of my life saying a lot of things with a lot of certainty. You can dig up old YouTube videos and blog posts or ask all the people who have gotten my unsolicited advice over the years for proof. My love affair with certainty has also directed what I do. I won't take a step unless I'm sure. I won't invest unless I know it will pay off. I won't ask unless I can balance the scales.
And do you know what all this certainty has gotten me?
Me neither.
Life has gone a bit like this for me over the last decade - leap, establish, expand, lead, release, crumble, grieve, question, and now...
At the end of 2022, as I was reflecting on all that the last few years have been, my word kept popping up everywhere. In my music, in what I was reading, in my Instagram feed, I couldn't shake this word:
WONDER.
Wonder feels two-fold for me, much like the word itself. First, it is an opportunity to let go of the certainty I find comfort in. Wonder is an invitation to ask a question and let it linger without anxiety. It's a call to wander into some unknown and just see what happens. It's an open door to observation over judgment. Which leads me to the second meaning of wonder for my year: awe + joy.
I freaking love watching my kids, they teach me so much. My favorite thing to watch is when they are discovering something new and amazing. This happens at lot at the Science Center or the Aquarium. They are face to face with something so new and wild that their brains have never imagined before. Their eyes move over their new discovery a million times as they compute what it is they are seeing. Their faces are a combination of peace and amazement. They are unthreatened by the fact that their smallness has never anticipated such a thing, they are grateful to be there discovering this new thing in that moment. Their wonder is often followed up with “Mommy, look at this!" an invitation into the wonder they are experiencing. And I always join. I love it! This year, I'm joining my kids in the hunt for awe-filled wonder and I hope to invite them into my own discoveries, too.
Wonder is my 2023 soundtrack. I'm excited and terrified if I'm honest. The year of wonder is already living up to its name by laying more questions than plans at my feet here in January. And wonder is already helping me wade a bit deeper into Compassionate Confidence because wonder is a posture laced with grace. And so, 2023, let's do this thing.
If you've chosen a word for 2023, ask yourself some important follow up questions to help your soundtrack stick:
What does my word mean to me? Does it mean more than 1 thing?
What are some specific areas of your life that you can see potential impact in choosing this word?
How are you feeling about your 2023 word?
What's something your word is challenging you to start? What about stop?
Who should you tell about your word?
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