Defining Your Words for 2012
Wow – we’re already halfway through January. For me, 2012 got off to a delayed start so I’m just now getting clear on my dreams and intentions for 2012. If you’re in the same boat read and want to learn an easy way to clarify your intentions for the year – read on….
The end game is to have 3-5 words that represent your intentions for the year. You can think of them as a lens through which to view your life and work. It’s a great tool for being in integrity with yourself, and it can help you decide whether to say “yes” or “no” to the opportunities that come your way this year.
The first time I did this was back in 2003 for a spirituality class I was taking where we were encouraged to define our own personal theology. The words I came up with were Connectedness, Harmony, Action, Being. These words represented how I wanted to be in the world – some were already very much part of my reality, and some were aspirational.
Last week I was inspired by my colleagues to take a fresh look at my words in light of what I wanted to invite in for 2012. My words for 2012 are Community, Love, Empowerment and Balance.
There are lots of different ways to find your words:
1) Meditate and let the words come.
2) Brainstorm a big list of words that are meaningful for you and let the ones that are most important jump off the page.
3) Flip through magazines and see what words or images call to you and for the images see what words they represent to you.
4) Invite those who know you best to share what they think your words should be for this year. Keep what speaks to you and discard the rest.
5) If a phrase is what’s needed, that’s fine too.
Once you have your words, share them with others. Speaking our intentions aloud is very powerful way of putting things into motion in the universe. It makes these ideas more real for us and lets others know what we’re wanting so they can provide support on this journey.
And when you hear others’ words, dreams and intentions for 2012, it can be easy to begin comparing your dreams with others’ dreams resulting in a lot of internal yuck! This happened to me with my women’s group last year. I experienced a lot of self judgment about why I couldn’t dream really cool dreams like they all could.
If this ever happens to you, or you just want to tap into the collective dreaming of the universe, when you hear others words and intentions, think about which ones you’d like to claim as your own. This wonderful reframe came to me earlier this week by way of Marita Fridjhon of CRR Global - where I’ve been studying organization and relationship coaching these past few months. As a result, my new words for 2012 are…Balance, Community, Empowerment, Fun, Love and Spiritually Connected.
Here’s to a fantastic 2012 for all of us!
