From Time to Amplify

Reflecting on Time: My 2023 Word of the Year

Happy Holidays, everyone! As the year draws to a close, I’m taking a moment to reflect on my 2023 word of the year and to unveil my chosen word for 2024.

A Look Back – Celebrating 10 Years

As mentioned in previous blogs, my word of the year practice began approximately 10 years ago. These are the words that I have chosen in years prior:

Determined (3 years in a row)

Joy

Simplicity

Intentional

Influence

Catalyst

Time

To briefly recap for anyone new to my annual blog:

I began choosing a word long before I knew about the book or craze to do it. I choose a word of the year in lieu of New Year resolutions or goals. This word is chosen as a vibe or as a focus point for the upcoming year. While I find that making quarterly and monthly goals serves me well and helps keep me more accountable on a daily basis than longer term goals, my word of the year is more of a touchpoint that ties together the goals I set. It’s the light in the dark to help me find my “way back home” if I wander too far off my path – if you will.

I know that many people choose a word and tend to forget about it. My commitment to myself, in knowing that I chose my word for a reason, is that I will keep it close to my heart. I have been known to reread my blog (this practice can easily be done in a personal journal… shoot, even a napkin… whatever your medium of choice) numerous times throughout the year, post it in my office, keep a note of it in my purse or pocket, etc. Just as it was up to me to choose a word, it’s up to me to keep up with it. So… I commit.

One of my favorite things about my words is that I choose to continue to carry the vibe of those words going forward. They become part of who I am as opposed to ending something I may never be finished working on. Because of my previous words, I am more determined and joyful. I attempt to appreciate a more simple life. I’m more intentional about everything in my consciousness and I’m much more aware of not only my own influence, but the influence other people and things have on me. I have a new appreciation for time. And speaking of…

The Journey Begins

I began drafting this annual blog post early on December 18th, 2023, a special day marking my 13th wedding anniversary. Despite my plans to sleep in, I found myself awake and decided to use this time productively by gathering my thoughts; one of the many practices I began implementing this year.

Embracing Time in 2023

Looking back at my personal 2023, it’s clear that the year has been full of challenges, both personally and for our family. My word for the year, ‘time,’ turned out to be a profound choice as we, as a family, experienced job loss, financial crisis, moving — AGAIN, one of our children hospitalized over a month and the aftermath of it that would ultimately shape our year, a bogus inquiry into our ability to even be “proper” parents, and even more recently, friendship loss, and more. It allowed me to deeply immerse myself in understanding and respecting time as an essential part of the human experience. I pondered over questions like the value I place on time, how I spend it, and its importance in my life. To be frank: I realized that time IS the human experience. It’s all we have, yet we are not guaranteed it.

Valuing Time: A Self-Inquiry

Throughout the year, any time I remembered, I evaluated my relationship with time, asking myself pertinent questions such as:

• Am I valuing my time today?
• How am I allocating my time?
• What is the significance of timelines and schedules to me?
• Do I feel my time is appreciated by others?

These questions prompted introspection and helped me appreciate aspects of life like rest, self-care, and spontaneity.

Scheduling vs. Spontaneity

As a devoted user of Google Calendar (GC is my homeboy!), I’ve always valued punctuality and scheduling. This year, however, I realized the importance of balancing this with the ability to adapt, appreciate, and flow with the unplanned moments. When my child was in the hospital, my calendar took a different shape and role, helping me to keep on track when my brain just couldn’t focus, while leaving lots of space for self-care. I remember moments where I would make a note in my calendar to shower, or eat a healthy food… things that so easily go by the wayside when you’re struggling.

Recognizing the value of time in my life also led me to understand how it impacts my interactions with others. One thing I discovered is that the more that I’ve learned to value my own time, the more I’m aware of when my time isn’t being valued by others. Wow, does this tie into self-worth as well! Every day, I recognize, even more, the value that I bring to the world and I deserve for that value to be respected by others.  I’m even learning how to speak up for myself in these situations. Now, if this was a realization that had come to me many years ago, I can promise you that, as I learned how to speak up for myself, I wouldn’t have done so in a way that was effective or honestly even kind or loving to anyone involved, including myself. This brings me to how communication was a huge theme for me in 2023 and it tied in BEAUTIFULLY with time!

Communication and Time: Learning and Growing

Hosting the show ‘Beyond 2D‘ with my friend and fellow host Farron Dozier, was a highlight of my year. Every single topic we chose ended up emphasizing the significance of effective communication in every aspect of our lives. This newfound respect for communication and how it relates to time has also guided me through some difficult personal experiences. One of the realizations I had was that while I do find value in the phrase “Do unto others, as you would have them do to you,” I also recognize that we give and receive things like love, respect, joy, gifts, and even TIME, in very different ways from one another. Going back to the importance of communication, I feel we can do a much better job at communicating to each other how we love our time to be respected. It may be time to share with loved ones in our lives how we feel valued when it comes to time. Perhaps, if we put in that effort to communicate, sharing our hearts about time and what it means to us in our lives, we can prevent a lot of misunderstanding when it comes to it. At minimum, we’ll know where we stand and can make a choice to continue to engage or move on with regard to certain relationships.

Moments Worth Remembering: A Cherished Gift

As Christmas passed, I received a heartwarming, and timely gift as I had already began processing my 2023 word, from my husband, Philip: a book titled ‘Moments Worth Remembering.’ This book was compiled by Philip and my friend and colleague, Oleg Lougheed. Inside, it contains touching messages from my loved ones, reminding me of impactful moments and people in my life… even a person or two who have chosen not to be a part of my life any longer. My processing of this gift is ongoing and I have committed to completing a separate blog and video to share my experience. (I’ll link back here when they are done.) For now, as it ties in to my word of the year, I share these final thoughts with you about time:

The human experience IS time, though we will never know how much of it we will be given. It is, however, our responsibility to ourselves and our privilege, should we choose to accept it, to decide how that time will be spent and the weight we put on it. The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that at any given time WE choose what our focus point is, regardless of our company and circumstances. Which brings me to what I’d like to… AMPLIFY.

Amplify: My Word for 2024

Amplify. Amplified. Amplifying. 

—verb (used with object)

1. To make larger, greater, or stronger; enlarge; extend.
2. To expand in stating or describing, as by details or illustrations; clarify by expanding.

— verb (used without object) 

1. To discourse at length; expatiate or expand one’s remarks, speech, etc. (Usually followed by on.) 

Synonyms: augment, deepen, heighten, intensify, magnify, strengthen 

This year’s word is accompanied heavily by choice— my choices. It’s not a have-to or should. It’s also not just a get-to or want-to. It’s a deep soul calling to allow what represents my desire to enhance, intensify, and magnify all the good within me and around me, embracing the potential for greatness in everything I dream of.

It is my intention in 2024 to consciously amplify every aspect of my life that I love, in the knowing that it is not only my choice, but my privilege, to value the time I am given each moment, however that looks in the moment.

Things I will amplify:

1. My wellness. Spiritually, mentally, and physically.
2. My marriage.
3. My relationships with my children.
4. My relationships with friends and family who choose things like mutual respect, communication, and to also amplify our relationships.
5. My business and the work I do in the world, which includes my network and those who are a part of it.
6. My gifts, talents, and skills.
7. My finances.
8. All the things that make me giddy-happy that amplify the JOY that is ME!
9. The real, deep love I have, both for others and myself.
10. The opportunity I have to help raise the vibration of this planet.
11. The voices of others who are also amplifying the light within themselves.

In the moments where I will be challenged and find it difficult to amplify that which fills my world, and the world at large, with light, I will remember:

I will amplify my freedom in choice.

I want to briefly thank everyone who had a part in my journey over the last year. To those who joyfully put on their working boots to help us gather and piece together a new life for our family and are still here on the other side of it, trust me when I tell you I won’t ever forget. Gratitude doesn’t seem a strong enough word for what I have for you. I love you beyond measure.

Blessings & Happy New Year

xoxo

Jessica