Just one word is enough

On choosing a word of the year and how it makes all the difference

I have been choosing a word of the year since 2009.

This year it was ALLOW. And man what a year of allowing it has been!

As I sit here in my hospital bed with nothing much to do but get better, get pumped with meds and be here and now, I had lots of time to think.

For 2025, I was considering health, joy, peace and others along those lines.

And then, while listening to a playlist of alpha waves, the word landed:

PRESENT

Potential meanings I can think of and that usually get flipped and tossed and turned during the year ahead showing me I had no clue what choosing the word really meant. Hah! That's the beauty of it too!

• All we have is the present, the here and now.

• Life is a present, and we don't always appreciate it. I want to appreciate more.

• I am a present, in all my glorious, messy, chaotic, creative, fun and less fun ways.

• I want to be more present in every possible way.

• What can I make a present of/ give as a gift?

• The way things are presented is the way things are. It's up to me to view them as gifts or not.

• The way I present myself is the energy I attract. What do I bring to the table? What do I represent?

• Present in Latin means Prae esse, before be. Before being, what is there? I still need to wrap my head around this one but I like it and I'm sure it'll show up next year somehow.

These past weeks have already started leading the way into my new word.

I feel it will be a beautiful gift that's going to show me colors I never knew existed.

Want to join me on the just one word journey?

Let me know which one you picked and what it represents for you.

Here’s the original story of the why and how.

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Here is the link to the alpha waves playlist on Calm

https://www.calm.com/program/QDsu5h6LOO