When all of my friends started posting about their “Word for 2018” at the end of 2017, I rolled my eyes so dramatically, it would have rivaled any disgusted teenage eye roll. I judged the whole thing as moronic and pointless. That isn’t to say that I hadn’t joined in on the frivolities every year since 2012, when the “Word of the Year” idiocy became all the rage in the new consciousness movement; I had. Every year.
Still, I judged it as a stupid waste of time to get to the “Word of the Year.” Then, to live the “Word of the Year” was impossible and boring for me. I usually lost interest around January 22, each year.
“It’ll give you focus,” they said.
“It’ll create purpose,” they said.
“It’ll be FUN,” they said.
Poppycock! It was and did none of those things for me. And I realized toward the end of 2017 – around the same time my friends started picking their 2018 word – that the reason why I thought it was a stupid waste of time was because, when it comes to setting goals for me, I usually just create “to do” lists of crap I don’t wanna do. Goal setting has never lit me up or kept me engaged and I had begun to see this “Word of the Year” thing as one great big goal-setting competition to see which of the highly enlightened people could ascend more quickly by choosing The Perfect word. Pashaw!
On January 1, 2018, I wrote about how I got to my focus for 2018, “Health as a Verb,” and I shared some insider information about what my “Word of the Year” journey has looked like for the last few years. A year ago today, when “Health as a Verb” came to me for my 2018 focus, I had no idea what it even meant, how I was going to do or be it, or what the results would be. In truth, much of my life has been like that… I make BIG BIG commitments quite blindly and jump right in, paying no heed to the possible outcomes or the “what ifs” of the situation and I just go for it. It’s the little things that stump me. Go figure.
So, I chose to dive into “Health as a Verb” on every level of my existence. It was clear to me that it was about more than my physical health, although that was a strong component of what was calling to me. As I declared it to be my focus of the year, I had a visceral sensation that something big was about to happen, but I had no idea what, exactly.
This year has turned out to be really big for me, and in ways I had never before imagined for myself. Below, you can see a collage of the images I captured as memory of my journey with “Health as a Verb.” Every image has a story behind it.
2018 had me capturing more selfies than I have ever done before. Ever. And it was because I felt good! The first thing I noticed with this focus was that it turned me toward myself, to be clear on what worked for me in such intense ways that I absolutely had no choice but to honor what it was that *I* needed and wanted for myself. There was no denying that this “Word of the Year” experiment resulted in clarity of what it means to honor myself – the very first thing I teach all of my EPICs! This year, I embodied that and it was powerful.
2018 witnessed me choosing physical fitness on purpose – actually doing exercise! – and paying attention to what food supports my body’s health. It had me choosing emotional health, standing up for myself, and connecting fully without holding back from the relationships that mean everything to me.
2018 had me becoming very aware of my actions, where I was losing track of myself, and where I was choosing out of being present for life as much as I became aware of where I was choosing in.
2018 led me to books that impacted me deeply, words that were spoken in movies or television shows that caused me to gasp and really listen, and messages that seemed to have been designed only for my ears.
The importance of my family and inner circle relationships made itself known to me strongly throughout 2018. I chose in solidly to those relationships I cherish and chose out of the relationships that are no longer serving me. The swing along the spectrum of relating was intense, gratifying, and eye opening. The stronger I chose into the relationships I wanted to hold onto, the richer and more beautiful they grew. The clearer I was about not being in relationship with people whose energy undermined me, the easier it was to let go.
The “little” things in 2018 became very meaningful as I grew to understand that my health is a three-dimensional process that affects so much of my experience. The more committed I became to being Health in every experience, the better I felt, the stronger I felt, the happier I felt!
Funny things were hilarious. Sad things were no longer overwhelming. Anger moved through quickly, but gently. Fear became something I was willing to look at, do something about, and keep. on. going. through it, rather than stop myself in its presence.
2018 gave me time to pause and soak in the simple things and I had no idea how important that is to me, actually, until doing this project. Paying attention to small things like the world’s tiniest snail or the feel of a mandarin orange bursting in my mouth… those things ARE what make my life rich and deliciously delightful. Until 2018 and the experience of being Health on every level, I didn’t understand the impact made on me when I don’t pay attention. Now, I understand.
I played my way through 2018. I was also very serious and focused more frequently than I’ve ever been before. I made HUGE leaps of faith, like hiring a high-end business coach who is guiding me to create things I’ve never believed I could before. I attended many business seminars – most of which were so very awesome and one of which made me want to shoot myself – and learned a lot about how I want to be in business.
I let go of all the “what ifs” in the realm of love and chose fully in with the love of my life. This meant that I have faced into all the fantasies of what I believed love is “supposed to be” about, I corrected myself – A LOT – so that I was accountable and healing all that I could in the realm of love, and I listened intently to what was REALLY being said to me.
I laughed a lot. I cried a lot. I felt. A LOT.
I said “YES!” to things I would have never said yes to before and I was just as clear on my “NO!”
I set out with the intention to pay attention to what it really meant to live “Health as a Verb” and it resulted in a reduction in systemic inflammation, reduction of 20 pounds on my body, as well as a reduction of 30 overall inches. It increased my physical strength, increased my endurance, and strengthened my heart.
I tried new recipes – most of which I loved. I re-embraced old favorite activities. I reconnected with loved ones. I created new, lasting relationships.
I started a REVELution. I birthed a cluster of powerful EPICs and I am preparing to birth another.
I stretched myself! I showed up more fully, more frequently, more powerfully. I videoed. I recorded. I spoke. I chose into a split-second decision and spoke for three whole minutes on a TEDx stage here in Salt Lake! Those three minutes showed me that I really CAN hold the space of full auditoriums without an ounce of fear, that I CAN speak the truth and do so clearly, and I CAN move hundreds, if not thousands, of people all at the same time.
I created big dreams in 2018 and realized a lot of them. The dreams that I did not realize were heartbreaking, but I lived through the devastation. I felt the feelings associated with “losing out” on what I had strongly planned for and had pretty much expected, then I moved on. Experiences that, in the past, would have obliterated any of my resolve to live became just experiences that didn’t go as planned for or as expected. That is all. Something to pay witness to, move through, and move on.
In 2018, I created art. I developed plans. I constructed goals. I began building financial understanding and stability. I laid out steps to follow for myself, which was new for me. For all of my adult life, I have said I don’t understand money and I don’t do goal setting “correctly.” I proved myself wrong this year and I am grateful for that.
2018 has been a BIG year and I get the sense that 2019 is going to build upon that. There was so much magic within my experiment with “Health as a Verb” this year, unexpected and unplanned for magic. The consequences of this focus have been grand and surprising.
I am really curious what will result from my focus in 2019. I’ll reveal that tomorrow!
