Transcripts are unedited and include the occasional error!
Hi there, Merideth Hite Estevez the creator and host of artists for joy podcast here and this is the FINAL episode of the year, a special bonus for you to help you name how you want to show up to the new year that is just around the corner
Before that though…this is your last chance to get early bird price for our enneagram workshop. ALSO, you have to register for the next creative cluster around julia cameron’s the artists way is Read more and register by clicking the linksin the show notes.
. I am not very in to new years resolutions, if I am honest, it feels very adjacent to someone trying to sell me something…AND I also really want some things to change in the new year, ya know? I want to show up ready. I want to set new boundaries. I want to move my body more, i want to be kinder to myself and my children and husband when I’m stressed. And I bet if you listened to your own inner chatter you would pick up on some things you would like to change too. And listen, you don’t need to wait until the year on the calendar changes, so if you are listening to this way after the fact and it’s january 20th and you feel you are too late…go gently, my friend. It is not about a january 1 start, that’s not the important part, you can name your intentions for yourself ANY DAY OF THE YEAR. You can decide what matters most to you and craft a life of intentionality and expectation any moment you want, so why not try it today.
The last few years I have named A word or in some years as many as 3 words, as things a way to set my intentions, a filter to run things through as I make decisions. This practice allows me to have a direction that I am heading, a lens I want to use to see things more clearly, a kind of truth north to remind when where I want to go, to keep me from being pulled in whatever the dreiction the world wants me to go in.
So, I am going to take you through a little process I made up to help you find your own word or words of the year. I’ll give you some music between each of the question, during which I encourage you to get out your journal or the notes app on your phone and do some free writing and brainstorming based on the prompt. Full disclosure, I can’t even remember what my words were for this past year. I was in the throes of parenting a small often sick child and so this practice totally got away from me in 2022. All that to say, jump back on the horse with me friends…remember even a life coach, with all the tools for joyful creative living, can, well, struggle to stay clear about what matters most and to find time and energy to be intentional. So, I’m writing this podcast for me, lol but just know I am figuring this out as I go, too.
Before we search for the word of the year, let me share that today’ music features Alon Peretz on guitar, hans johnson, yuval vilner, as well as my new year anthem, Chin up by The Whiskey Wasps. Our theme song is by angela sheik.
Ok, so as we search for the word or words of the year, let’s start by reflecting back:
Go back and look through the photos of your phone from 2022. Looking back on the past year…what do you wish there had been more of? Here’s a fun question, regardless of whether you had a word or words of the year in 2022, looking back at the year that just happened, what would you say your word of the year might have been, based on how you lived? —I can’t remember mine, but I would say this year has been all about: writing, healing, and taking action. If you don’t remember what you did this year, (parents of small children, anyone dealing with illness, raise your hand?) Before we look ahead, look back.
Ok, as we look forward:
Answer this question with a stream of consciousness list–This year, regardless of my circumstances, I want to feel…. Write as many words as you can about how you want to show up in 2023.
Now go back through those words you wrote, and circle the ones that resonate most. Look especially for verbs or action words. Take the list of circled words and make a fresh list.
Lastly, sit with this longer list of words for a few days. Talk to a loved one about it. What activities, deadlines, trips, events are coming up in 2023 and which of these words will help you show up as you most want to, regardless of the outcomes or circumstances? Try to narrow the list down to the few that matter most. Share your word or words with me on IG on the post for this episode @ artist for joy so swe can cheer you on.
May this new year bring joy and love to you and yours.