Hello everyone, hope you’re having an awesome month. My piece that appeared in last months The Inspired Guide Magazine (here), I hope it inspires you.
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I just love the freshness of a new year, don’t you? There’s so much possibility you can just feel it in the air. It’s a brand-new year, a brand-new slate. It’s an invitation for new beginnings, there’s a renewed sense of hope. Anything is possible.
One of the most powerful tools I have found to help me navigate through the year, is to have a word for the year. A word brings meaning, focus, joy. It shines the light on what I want to create, a gentle reminder that brings me back for when I lose myself.
I started the practice of having a word a few years ago and for the first couple of years I chose my word, but for the last five years, words have been choosing me. I now leave it up to the universe. Every year my word shows up in October and every year it’s the perfect word. My 2020 word is empowered, and empowered has been my saving grace this year.
The value of having a word
Your word is your comeback place, your center point, your companion. It will help you to stay focused on your goals, make decisions, and bring you back when you lose yourself in the every-day hustle. It sets a theme and paves the way. It’s your constant.
How to get a word
You can ask the universe for a word, stay open to receive, and trust that the perfect word will show up.
You can choose your word. One way is to first review the year, and then decide what you want for the following year.
Some questions to ask yourself –
What do you want to let go of? Change?
What do you want to invite more of in the coming year?
What do you want to nourish?
How do you want to feel?
You can write out a list of words as they come to you, highlight the ones that stick out, narrow it down to three, from these which one tugs at your heart? Once you find the word, hold on to it, see how it stays with you, carry it around for a week or so, see how you feel with it. You’ll know when it’s the right word.
Look it up in the dictionary, I’m always surprised at how much more meaning the word takes on.
What to do with your word –
Give it some love, bless your word and thank it for coming into your life.
Keep it visible, you can make it the wallpaper on your phone, write it on an index card, color it, decorate it, stick it on your bathroom mirror.
You can also use it as a mantra, in meditation, say it in an affirmation.
Some words to get you started
Empowered. Love. Mindfulness. Grateful. Success. Open. Focus. Space. Calm. Boundaries. Clarity. Movement. Health. Confident. Simplify…
You can also have more than one word. This year I chose ‘joy’ in February, because I wanted to feel joy and infuse joy in all I did. And ‘purpose’ showed up in July.
And at any time during the year if you feel your word no longer matches you, you’re free to change it.
You’re meant to feel good, to have a spectacular life, to experience miracles
You’re designing your life every day, live with gratitude, treat yourself special every day and have a magical word, a word that empowers you to achieve your desires.
Your word is a force of the universe, it’s powerful and joyful – it’s your magic potion.
Do you have a magical word for the year? I’d love to know.
Blessings
COPYRIGHT MASHA G. ELLMAN 2020
In My Everyday Life 
I love this! I had just commented on your Instagram that I have never had a word. However, as I was reading this a word just popped into my mind!! As soon as I read “What do you want to let go of?” the word release immediately came to mind. I want to let go of the past and bitterness. I want to be free of all that and look forward.
Thank you so much for this!! ❤️
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OMG Michelle reading this made me cry, tears of gratitude and joy. RELEASE!!! what an amazing beautiful word. It came to you from your soul and it’s exactly what you need right now. Write it, color it, decorate it, keep it where you will see it every day, I have my word on a white thick large piece of construction paper, I keep it for a while until what else needs to go on it comes to me, I bought big gold letters from Hobby Lobby and spelled the word out with that, I have it on one of those stands like for a painting or a picture, and I have it on my desk by my computer, I also have it as the background on my phone and ipad. You’ll see what to do with it, welcome it and allow it to bless you to release all that no longer serves you, it came to you for a reason. Please let me know if I can help you in any way, email me if you want. Thank you so much for letting me be a part of your transforming moment. much love xoxo
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I love the idea of having it as the background on the phone and computer! And putting it in shiny gold letters where it can always be seen! Thank you so much for the inspiration and wonderful ideas!!
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Thank you Michelle, and I know you’ll come up with lots more, you’re very creative, have fun decorating your word, use it in any way it feels good for you. I wanted to add a picture of my word but I can’t figure out how to do it LOL I may post it on Instagram 🙂 xoxo
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Empowered is a great word. You certainly needed it in this uncertain year! Mine was something along the lines of Now, as in, in this moment. And I certainly needed to stay there this year, in the moment:).
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That’s a great word Kay, I know I shouldn’t be but I’m always amazed how the word I have is always the perfect word for that year, it always turns out to be the exact word that I needed. It’s amazing that one little word can be so powerful and have such an affect in your life throughout the year 🙂 Thank you for being here, have a wonderful day xoxo
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This is a great post. I haven’t thought about having a word of the year. I may have to try it.
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I hope you do try it, I love having a word for the year it’s been magical for me. Thank you for reading and for your comment. xoxo
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Thanks for this post, my WP search for WOTY brought me here. This is something I’ve never find before but feeling inspired by all the great posts on it 👍
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Thank you so much and welcome, I’m so happy you’re inspired, when you do get a word for the year I’d love to know what it is. xoxo
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