Have you ever had a word choose you?  This year my word began to choose me as early as last September.  It popped up, and I noticed it and then moved on.  By November, it was appearing all over the place, showing me the way to 2020. Before I share my new word with you, let’s look back on my last words.

For the last five years, I have selected a focus word for the year. This is different from setting new year’s resolutions. I choose to find a word that represents what I want, need, and hope 2020 will bring into my life, but sometimes the word chooses me.

In 2019, my word was SHINE. My goal was to shine personally and professionally, and I did that through a new job, a published book, and a sunflower tattoo 26 years in the making!

In 2018, my word was POSSIBILITY with a supporting phrase of Adventures that Stretch. This idea helped me looked differently at what was possible if I shifted my viewpoint. I also enjoyed some incredible adventures that did help me stretch in new ways.

For 2017, my word was CHALLENGE, and it served me personally, professionally, and on a global scale. I love new challenges and appreciated the permission I gave myself to rise to some new challenges and to say, “I’m not going to take this on,” to other challenges.

In 2016, my word was REJUVENATE, with a more internal, physical focus that I needed.

The first time I chose a focus word was 2015, and my word was MINDFULNESS. This proved to be a fulfilling year of learning to be more present, learning to mediate, and to enjoy each individual moment.

My word of 2020 is… GRACE.

I love that grace can be both a noun and a verb, something you can have and something you can do. Grace has connections to gracias/ grazie, which means giving thanks. I feel a sense of peace and contentment when I think of giving myself grace and holding space to give others grace. I created two different images to mark my word this year, knowing that grace will come in a variety of shades and meanings throughout 2020.

Do you have a word for 2020?  Do you set resolutions or goals for yourself?  What are you hoping for in 2020?