and from that Home, She Glowed.

Life works in mysterious ways, but when you find your inner glow is back and shining brighter, you know it’s right. – Lily Collins

Overwhelm. That is what I feel as I begin this New Year. Overwhelm at the projects I have put on my own plate and the goals I have before me. Overwhelm as I seek to gain some sort of balance – a dance between what feels like work versus play. Overwhelm is not my word of the year though. Overwhelm isn’t the identity I want to dress myself in this January. And so, I remind myself of my intention for 2023 and the singular word that will guide me, again and again throughout the days. 

The day’s leading up to the New Year were busy for me, as I am sure they were for many of us. There wasn’t a lot of time to set aside and dedicate to myself, much less to lay out my hopes and dreams for the year before me. But on January 1st, I found a moment of stillness, poured a cup of peppermint tea, lit my lavender candle, and sat down to map out what it is that I want for 2023. After an hour of contemplation on questions such as, “What does my ideal life look like?” or, “How do I want to feel at the year’s end?” and then diving into the four major areas of my life – my home, my body, my mind, and my soul – I reached an intention that feels true to me. And from this intention, I chose my word. 

My intention, “to create a home within myself and then, from this home, to glow”. My word, “Glow”. 

The year of 2022 was one of many changes and transitions. I moved to a new state, I started a new career, and I got engaged. Any one of those events is monumental in and of itself and creates a ripple effect in one’s life. Every single one of those events is incredibly exciting and worth celebrating and I hold so much gratitude for each one. With change and transition though, there is almost always a sense of instability. I have felt unstable within myself…off kilter and fragmented. It is as though I am trying to wrap my head around one big thing when BOOM, another big thing gets dropped on my doorstep. Instead of turning inward to process how I am feeling or what it is that I need, I have found that I am reaching for things outside of myself to ground me, or bring me relief. Lonely? Make sure Daniel is home or I have a friend to call. Sad? Open a tub of ice cream and numb out with some television. Unsure? Call up a million people and ask their advice, or, better yet, ask Google for the answer! Each time I turn outside of me for a solution, I know that I am giving away some of my own power. That is why this year I am placing my focus on creating a home within, and from that home, kindling the fire behind my own inner glow. 

When I think of the word “home”, I think of a safe haven, a landing pad. Home is where I go to regroup, to rejuvenate, to reconnect. Home is where I feel held, loved and accepted exactly as I am. I want to create this sort of environment within my own being. I want to bring Home with me wherever I may go. And with this home in place, I will glow. There are so many wonderful definitions of this word “glow”: Feel deep pleasure or satisfaction and convey it through one’s expression and being; A strong feeling of pleasure or wellbeing. Within a home that I feel safe, where I allow myself to rest, where there is an abundance of love and patience, I can truly glow in my life. And that is what I intend to create for myself. 

Within the four areas of my life, I have pinpointed a few specific goals that truly would support my intention and give life to my word: 

Home:

Home encapsulates relationships with friends and family, as well as the physical home. Within my relationships, specifically those closest to me, I want to respect both the boundaries I have created as well as those that others create for themselves. Boundaries allow us to nurture our own souls, which is imperative if we are to then give to others. Instead of relying on another to pull me out of a funk or to provide me with all of the answers or reassurance, I want to begin the work of giving more of this to myself. I can do this by asking, “What am I feeling? What is it that I need? How can I meet this need?” This sort of work involves consistent therapy, regular journaling and a daily practice of silence and stillness. The tradeoff is more confidence in my own ability to meet my needs, and in turn stronger relationships with family and friends – relationships that aren’t built out of codependency. 

Mind:

Mind involves the areas of work, finances and studies. I am committing to a 6 month spending freeze in the areas of clothing, shoes, accessories and books. Instead of buying more, I want to take an audit of what already exists for me and consider how much it is that I really need. Instead of turning to acquisition or consumption to satisfy some unmet desire, I want to express myself more through art and study. I want to explore what truly brings me joy. This, after all, is the foundation to a solid home within. 

Body:

So much of what I love to do is reliant upon the overall health of my physical body. I have a tendency to ignore what it is that my body is asking of me. This might mean going for a 5 mile run when I know that what I truly need is to sleep in and stretch. Or, it might mean pouring a large glass of wine instead of making a cup of hot tea. My inner home is dependent upon a healthy body. This year, I want to tune into what my body is really asking of me. And I want to honor that. I am committing to a weekly yoga practice to help support this, as yoga is the one form of movement that really fully moves me out of my head and into my body. 

Soul:

Soul is the area that I tend to neglect the most. It is the one I am most likely to overlook, or forgo caring for, on a busy day. This year, to nourish my soul, I am turning to nature. I want to spend more time alone, outside, exploring and expressing gratitude towards this natural world. That might mean solo trips to the ocean, or even just quiet walks around my neighborhood. It is through nature that my soul feels replenished. I am nourished by Mother Earth. I want to spend more time with her. 

♥

To stay connected with my intention and my word, I have written both out, in shimmery gel pen, on a small piece of paper that is now serving as a bookmark to my journal. This way, each morning when I open my journal, I am reminded of what it is that I want to spend my days creating. On a fresh page, I ask myself, “How will I support this creation of my inner home today? How will I glow?”

My intention this year is to create a home within myself, and from this home, to glow. My word is glow. I have a list of goals to support this. Now, I just need to keep taking small steps towards those goals each day. And when the overwhelm begins to creep in, I can come back to this intention, this word, and remind myself that I have the ability to choose something different. 

Have you chosen an intention for 2023? Decided on a word? Laid out your goals? If so, I’d love to hear them. Please share in the comments below. 

There are lots of people who give their all and have that inner glow. It’s a shame the majority of them are under seven years old. – Esa Saarinen