WORTHY

That is my word for this year, 2022. Did you know that dictionary.com and Merriam-Webster both have words of the year? Merriam-Webster choose “Vaccine” in November 2021 for the word for the year. Pretty apt, I say!

So how does one come up with a word for the year? “If choosing a word for the year sounds a little silly, or like too much work, or you don’t know whether you should bother… Here’s the post that will answer your questions and walk you through how to choose your perfect motivational word for the year to skyrocket your personal growth and do some powerful goal-setting.” — FillingtheJars

Some things to keep in mind when selecting your word:

1.    Think about what you accomplish in the coming year and if any themes run through all

2.   Reflect on the year that passed and see if anything you would like to continue to work on pops out

3.   From these, think about what word will motivate you and/or shift your thinking   —MoutainModernLife

You can choose to post your word where you see it every day, recited it several times a day, or incorporate it into affirmations and/or prayers. I choose to incorporate my word into affirmations, “I am worthy of wealth. I am worthy of health. I am worthy of love.”  Now when I am feeling down or have a negative thought, I recite this affirmation.

Having a word of the year can be powerful and help you with clarity and focus. “’Resolutions feel like rules after a certain point,’ says Janice Simon, a leadership and career coach in Houston, Texas, who has been guided by a personal word of the year, like 2021’s “celebrate,” for several years now. “I like [using a] word [instead] because it’s not limiting. It sets an intention so that every action I take for an entire year has some meaning behind it.” Your word of the year can help you say “no” when being asked to help out, purchasing an item, or making a tough decision. If your word like the above is celebrating, then you want to do celebratory things. Being with your grandchildren can be celebratory and so can volunteering at a soup kitchen. Doing your taxes is not so much, but they still need to get done. Organizing the lost and found at your kids' school is not (unless you are looking for your children’s lost items and can celebrate when you find one) so say no when asked.

Now you may also want to consider a “not to be used” word. Contenders for this list for me for 2023 are mindfulness and self-care. These are words I feel are overused.

So, what are your words to use and/or not use?