I’ve been mulling over this decision for a while now. Some people find that it’s easy to pick a word of the year, it just comes to them in a moment of deep thought. But those who know my intense love of words, and my frequent inability to use only one when I can think of five, will understand this was no easy feat for me. 

Last year was the first year I chose a word to honor my intentions for the upcoming year.  The word I chose last year was “cultivate.” It was a year where I’d planned to cultivate new relationships, plant seeds, and lay the groundwork for growing myself and my business. 

Little did I know at the time that I chose the word that midway through the year, my entire world would be turned upside down. My life as I’d previously known it would instantly be no longer.  I lost family and friends, my career, and everything else I’d spent my adult life building. 

But, I continued to cultivate. I went back to school, I started a new business, a new career, cultivated strong past relationships and made some incredible new ones. 

And I found love… a love like I’ve never known before… a love that has no limits and no ending… a love for myself. 

This upcoming year is about rebuilding a new and authentic life for myself. This year is about taking the lessons from the past, and turning them into the dreams for the future. This coming year is about redefining myself, my needs, and my commitments. It’s about a “revival.”

Why did I choose “revival” as my word of the year? Let’s look at the meaning…

— an improvement in the condition or strength of something.

— renewed attention to or interest in something

— increased spiritual interest or renewal in the life of a religious community or society, with a local, national or global effect

Yes, I believe this will be a year of improving the condition or strength of something… myself!  Yes, this will be a year or renewed attention and interest in something… my well-being! And yes, I can foresee an increased spiritual awareness that will affect myself and my community on a local to global scale. So, it’s clear that “revival” is exactly the right word for my intentions into the new year. 

It will be a year of rebirth, rebuilding, a renaissance.  It will be a revival of my body, mind and spirit.  My career, my health, my adventures, my love for myself and others, my spirituality and my world will be part of this revival. I plan to write, to travel, to exercise, to love and to experience life in a way that I’ve never done before. 

I share this word with the Universe, and with all of you, to put my intentions for this upcoming year out there.  I need it, and you, to hold me accountable to maintaining this intention throughout the upcoming year. 

I challenge each of you to discover your word, and to put it into the universe. If you need help with finding your word, I’m happy to guide you to finding the word that belongs to you in 2019. I would be honored to hold accountability for you this year if you find you need that. I also encourage you to find ways to remind yourself of you word on a daily basis to keep it in the forefront of your mind and your actions throughout the year. I have changed my iPhone lock screen to an image with my word. I’ve also ordered a necklace with my word engraved into it. These little reminders will ensure that my word doesn’t get lost among the common New Year’s Resolutions that usually fall by the wayside by February. I’d love to hear you share how you keep your word fresh in your life. 

Looking forward to sharing 2019 with all of you… my year of revival!