I like to think of my word of the year like an intention that I want to set for the next 12 months. This exercise is still a very new thing for me, but this is how I’m approaching it for now!
My intention for 2022 is… Release.
If you told me a few years ago that I would choose RELEASE as my word of the year, I would not have believed you.
If you’ve been reading my blog posts, you may know that I am very goal driven, future oriented and am proactive about making things happen. I’m a “go and get it” kind of a person. And while these attributes can be strengths, I’ve also noticed that they can be toxic when applied in an unhealthy way.
What I mean by that is, I’ve become so fixated on the future that I have a hard time appreciating my present moments. Even if I hit a milestone or smash a goal, I’m already looking ahead and onto the next thing. Rarely do I take the time to evaluate what I currently have and just enjoy it for what it is.
I’m not sure if this comes from my upbringing as a first generation immigrant, my family culture or maybe it’s simply a personality trait. What I do know is that I need to release control and allow myself to let go of some of these expectations.
I had first learned this about myself during my solo trip (I dive deeper into that in this post), but what really got me was something that happened earlier this month. I’m not quite ready to dive into the details just yet, but to summarize it, I first hand experienced what it felt like to lose something and there was nothing I could do about it. No matter how bad I wanted to make it work, this was simply out of my hands. Have you ever had a moment like that?
It was a humbling experience and while I was devastated by the outcome, I took away so many valuable lessons. I gained empathy for others going through difficult times. I was reminded that I am not in charge, but that God IS. I realized some things, I will never understand, but I trust that He has better things in store for me. “For we live by faith, not by sight.” - 2 Corinthians 5:7
This is why I landed on the word, release. Webster Dictionary describes it as allowing or enabling something to escape from confinement; to move, act, or flow freely. Now doesn’t that sound nice?
To me, release means to keep my hands and heart open. To not sweat the little stuff and let things roll off my back. To give more grace to others and myself. To be fully present and let myself feel everything. To not be afraid to make mistakes and just try things. To release control, keep an open heart and always, trust that GOD IS GOOD. All the time. Even when I don’t understand, even when things don’t go my way, even when it hurts, God is good.
That is the heart I want to have going into 2022. Now tell me, do you have a word or intention for the year?