I’ve been embattled in a war of words the past few days – trying to choose my Word of the Year. Last year, overjoyed came to me easily and felt instantly perfect. This year, I’ve gone round and round with a handful of candidates – each good, but not quite right – meant to inspire me and guide me through 2012. Here are the words I’ve been wrestling with, each representing things I want to attract more of into my life…
Comfortable – I want to achieve that sense of being wrapped in a warm blanket, comfortable and happy with every decision I make. I want to feel comfortable in my own skin, to bask in the comfort of having family close, and help my kids feel comfortable in the great big world.
Gentle - I want to be gentle with myself this year. I need to be gentle with myself after a year in which my heart felt like a punching bag. My body and soul are craving a little TLC.
Light - I am passionate about not only shining my own light, but helping others do the same – especially women who have watched their lights dim and need little bits of inspiration to spark something wonderful and wise within them.
Grace - I love the way this word washes over me, requires nothing of me, and promises that quiet goodness will come to me.
I love each word, but none felt motivating or soul-stirring enough to qualify as THE one word that could carry me through this year. Then, yesterday, as the words and desires were swirling around my head, encircling my heart, jostling for position, I heard a line from a favorite old song by Sugarland play in my head: “I need a little less hard times, I need a little more bliss.”
YES! YES! THAT’S IT! I knew that second that all those words, comfortable + gentle + light + grace, added up beautifully to equal {{{BLISS}}}.
Bliss is officially defined as perfect happiness and serene joy. It is an innate spark that we must follow, according to the late great Joseph Campbell. It is a feeling of pure contentment, a sense that all is well. It is the result of witnessing magic or seeing serendipity at play. It twinkles and sparkles. It is hearty laughter and inner peace. It is music to the soul. It is just what I need. And I realize now that it worked its way into my new blog header above, before I even {consciously} knew it would be my word of 2012. Hello, bliss.
“If you do follow your bliss, you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while, waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living. When you can see that, you begin to meet people who are in your field of bliss, and they open doors to you. I say, follow your bliss and don’t be afraid, and doors will open where you didn’t know they were going to be.” ~ Joseph Campbell
BLISS …. I LOVE IT!!!!
and i love how it came to you … isn’t that just the way it is though …. we will think and think … ponder some more …and WHAM! there it is … THEE WORD … the word that we will carry through this year of 2012.
i did the same as you Liv … sat with it, thought of many but none that truly resonated. Then yesterday as I walked and listened to the pounding of the waves the word came to me … LIBERATE!!! It is time for me to liberate and free myself from many, many things!!! I can’t wait!!!
love to you and BLISS OUT baby!
oxox
k
ps…LOVE YOUR NEW SITE … ITS BEAUTIFUL!!
Thanks, sweet Kolleen! Yes – it was right there all along, on the tip of my tongue, at the edge of my heart.
And LIBERATE! Wow – such a strong word and I’m so glad it’s giving you wings! xoxo
What a beautiful, all-encompassing word. Happy 2012 to you!
Stephanie : )
Love all that you have done here Liv! Can’t wait to see what is down the line for you…no word of the year for me yet…
Not surprisingly, Liv, my word is peace. To me it feels present in me…ready to be revealed… and present in our chaotic world…ready to be remembered. I so look forward to asking questions with my life this year and looking forward to the answer…peace.
Beautiful new website, my friend!
Joan
Bliss is wonderful !!! I wish you a 2012 full, full, full of bliss, Beautiful Liv !
My word ? Well, it is a familiar one to you. My word is LIVE ! As in,”think less, Live more.” And also, “Live from this precious day, it’s KIM !!!”
May the focus we put on these sweet, wonderful words bring us to where we want to LIVE !
Happy New Year !
(I did a little blog post about my word choosing here : http://www.queen-of-arts.blogspot.com/2012/01/live-from-queen-of-arts-studio.html)
LOVE it, Kim! So many meanings – all so good. May you LIVE to the edges of every day in 2012…
Thanks for the awesome posts … half of my stuff is on GoDaddy and the other half is on Bluehost … you just made me see the lack of money fear that still lives in me … Thanks Liv!
Fun to see you here, Sonya! Ahhh, yes – I know how scary those money fears can be. But when we’re too scared to give it, we’re also too scared to receive it, yes? Hope the journey through 2012 is lined with gold for you!
Love your new digs, Liv!
And your word….sweet, sweet bliss to you
these precious days ahead,
Jen
I often forward your posts and bits of wisdom to my family when it touches my heart in a big way (instead of just the little ways you offer up every day) Today, the word “bliss” really hit home. It’s my mom’s word.
She is moving on to the next phase of her career right now and hasn’t quite decided what to do. After nearly 20 years in a high stress position, she doesn’t know if she wants to go back into management, or go work at Home Depot for awhile. So I sent her the quote to remind her that she should do the thing that makes her the most HAPPY and keeps her in a state of bliss. Her children have all been encouraging her to make a living with her art, but she has been creating for other people for so long that I think she is afraid to make that leap.
So, thank you for giving me something I can pass along today. I know she will appreciate it.
LOVE knowing this. Thanks! And what a wonderful daughter you are – lucky mom.
my word for this year is peace and has the exact same meaning as your word bliss…as you put it so beautifully~”It is a feeling of pure contentment, a sense that all is well.”
I love the process you went through to arrive at your 2012 guiding word, and how you didn’t settle for what didn’t feel just right. How cool that bliss appeared on your new website header before it came to you as your word for the year. Serendipity for sure! Love your new site, too! Congrats!
I’m still ruminating on what will guide me for 2012.
Happy, blissful new year!
Bliss! I love the word, the combination of the things it reflects for you, and how it came to you. So serendipitous.
Here’s to a blissful year for you!
My word this year is Elevator.
I am going places and that is a good thing. But I own my own business and I have to small kids so I know my journey upward is going to be in small increments – 30 seconds to 2 minutes just like an elevator ride.
Enjoy your Bliss!
Liv,
You are truly an inspiration to me, in so many ways… a word of the year- who would have thought of that? Certainly not me on my own, but I LOVE it! I adore your word, and for me, like so many others here: PEACE. Peace in my heart to release the stress that tends to clench it up. Peace in my {cancer-free!} body to treat it much better. Peace in my mind to learn to love myself. And finally, Peace in my home to take a deep breath when the chaos of three beautiful children and cleaning responsibilities seem overwhelming.
I know I can do it. Thank you for this!
Kari