Wow. 2024 was an exceptional year. And I know this is not the case for everyone.
I learned how to make apologies. I chose sobriety, day after day. My spirituality deepened, thanks in part to this choice. But it’s also thanks to trusting God, going to church almost every week, and learning how to chant and sometimes even sit still.
My former colleague C and I got together (and have stayed) together. It’s the healthiest, most honest relationship we have been in. I am so grateful.
I’m also learning to celebrate others’ wins and relationships, too. I went to 3(!) separate weddings this year, spent quality time with besties all over the country, and working on being a more proactive pen pal.
I said good-bye to marketing. And have made many connections, mistakes, and learnings in this new-to-me field of library and information science (LIS).
Learning new passions and gaining new positions was scary but thrilling. Guitar is still something I’m working on. Piano and poetry are still my jam. Concerts are even sweeter understanding more of the production involved.
It wasn’t all good things, of course. The year started with a mishap to my car… and the year ended as it started, with more car trouble.
The person I voted for president did not win. And I am struggling to cope, as a person and professional, with that one. I am scared.
And so the confluence of all these things lead me to my word for 2025, open-hearted.
Looking back at previous word choices, there’s no inherent pattern:
- 2022: Grace, noun. Striving to find and live in grace.
- 2023: Inner compass, phrase. Listening to my intuition.
- 2024: Experiment, verb. Running tests to make shifts.
- 2025: Open-hearted, adjective. Hopefully, a state of being.
Certainly, many of my people inspired these word choices. I remember using grid paper to count out phrases with my pops in 2023, ultimately using “inner compass”. This year, I meditated, made my own grid paper, and talked to people, especially C. And finally came up with open-hearted.
I hope to be honest, gentle, and vulnerable… while also strong, assured, and willing. There is so much change ahead, much outside of my control. Learning to let go of what’s not in my purview is not just a one-stop shop, but I can also learn to be the change. But that’s a lot of being open-hearted.
So, that’s what I hope to discover this year. I anticipate publishing on the 10th of every month, and might even share to my socials. I will look at O first, on February 10th, then P on March 10th, etc., through the end of the year. Instead of single words for each letter, I am considering phrases.
As always, I’d love your feedback! Please, share a comment: Does anything resonate with you, or do you have questions about this word choice? Have you set a word for the year? Do you prefer setting goals or resolutions? Happy 2025, everyone. May this year bring courage in sharing, understanding of capacity, and lots of light and love.