I can’t believe that there is only 4 days left of 2018. Well, I say that every year, if I’m being honest. Every December, I sit back and marvel at the speed of time and the happenings of the year. It’s also the time where I reflect upon my chosen word of the year and choose a word for the next. My 2018 word of the year was Joy. In 2019 I’m looking forward to Simplicity.
I’ve got that Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy, down in my heart.
That used to be one of my favorite songs growing up in the church. I think that’s partly why I went into choosing my 2018 word of the year, Joy, with a little bit of cockiness! I thought, Pshhhhh, I’ve got this! Little did I know, that it would be one of the most roller-coaster years I have ever experienced. See, what I’ve learned about choosing a word of the year is that you better be careful what you choose. For whatever word you choose, is the word you’ll be most challenged on.
In my case, in choosing the word Joy, I experienced SO many things where I had to choose to see the joy no matter how difficult it was to find. Some of the most profound moments where I had to be mindful about choosing joy were:
*January – Being wrongfully evicted from our home. *April – Losing Cheryl, who was engaged to my brother Adam before he died in 2010. *August – My physical symptoms ramping up while beginning regenerative detoxification. *November – Losing my crown after all the dental work I had done in 2017. *December – My husband quitting his job of 11 years the week before Christmas. — It was our most challenging financial year. It was my most challenging health year. It was my most challenging year for both friendships and networking relationships.
But there were also the moments where the joy was positively overflowing.
*February – I celebrated my 37th birthday the same week we found not only an amazing realty company but a new place to live! * March – I listened to my intuition, changed my business direction, and launched my new program within a week! AND My husband legally adopted all three of my oldest children! *April – Received a life-changing message from Adam, Cheryl, and my Spirit Guides. *May – Took an unforgettable trip to North Carolina with my family and met 2 of my best online friends in person. *July – Premiered Season 1, Episode 1 of my new show The Breakthrough. *September – All 3 of my oldest children were accepted onto the Teen Advisory Board at the local library. *October – Became an International Best Selling Author with my contribution to SHINE! *December – My husband walked into a brand new, better suited job where he is appreciated for his skills and talent within an hour of quitting his old job! — It was a stellar year for my children. It was an amazing year for my relationship with my husband. It was THE year I’ve stepped into my authentic self and began to live the REAL me.
The Presence in Joy
The most important thing I learned throughout the search for Joy is that it is ALWAYS present, you just have to choose whether or not you want to see it. Then, in being present and choosing to see that joy, your life begins to shift in the direction that you want it to, quicker than you can imagine! I look back over the last 12 months and yes, I see moments of contrast, as Abraham puts it. I see moments where I could have gone into a complete tail spin. But instead, in those moments of contrast, I chose to find and embrace the joy in each and every one. I chose to have gratitude. I chose to live in the moment instead of charging through.
And the proof that we should choosing joy can change our lives? It’s in the presence. I look back and see just how quickly things turned around in each and every circumstance. I see that for every relationship “lost”, another was strengthened or introduced shortly after. I noticed how, as my husband says, “Every day, in every way, things are getting better and better.”
Simplicity Brings More Joy
In 2017, my word was Determined. In 2018, my word was Joy. For 2019, my word is SIMPLICITY.
When I sat down to meditate on what my word would be for the upcoming year I honestly didn’t want to hear it when Spirit said, Simplicity. It seemed so much less grandiose than previous years! The truth is, that my quest for Joy in every moment was often over complicated and over thought (SHOCKING for someone who’s natal chart is almost all air! … NOT! HA!). The truth is, that Joy is easier to find and more abundant when we simplify our lives.
So, here’s to 2019. Less ‘stuff’. Less ‘over-everything’… thinking, planning, judging, doing. More family & friendships. More gratitude. Peace. Love. … A year of determination and joy, paved with simplicity.
Share with me… Have you chosen a word for 2019? If you haven’t, I challenge you to! And once you have, get ready to be challenged. Whether you choose a word or not, may your 2019 be filled with simplicity and joy.
xoxo