Word...

The themed picture of the day posts I use from Fat Mum Slim had "My Word for 2023" as the prompt today. Hunh...

Seems she normally chooses a word for the year that is her focus. Breathe. Present. Joy. Those sorts of things and that's her yearly theme. What she wants to work on. Sort of a resolution wrapped up into a word. 

My nephew does something similar but he uses a quote. Something to inspire him, or remind him of something he wants to achieve. He makes it the lock screen on his phone so he sees it multiple times a day. 

I kind of like the idea of both of those things but I'm not really a yearly theme sort of person. 

I mean, you all know I love my gold stars and my goals, but rarely is there an overarching theme to them. 

Except this year I did sort of set one didn't I? A nebulous theme that wasn't tied to numbers and gold stars. 

My friend Dana put it really well when she was talking about how differently she feels about 2023. She's ready to be an active participant in her life again. 

Oh my gosh that hit solidly when I read it. 

The past three years have been reaction years instead of action years for me. Every single time I would think I had a handle on life something else would hit. I am so tired of feeling tossed around and not having any sort of bearing. Of feeling like life is happening around me and I'm just trying to stay upright while it all washes past. 

So then I started thinking what would my word be? What would focus all of that? I talked about finding balance again in my goal setting blog. That I want to get back to making sure what I'm doing feels like it has a purpose or brings me joy. So focus? Balance? Purpose? Joy?

But none of those felt right. 

Then I started thinking Flow. I want to get back to where my life feels like it flows. Not like it's the herky jerky what next thing. And as I was thinking of flow I started thinking of the best kind of flow. Being in the ocean. 

You all know I love the ocean. I love when it's stormy and messy, I love when it's clear and calm. Snorkeling is one of my favorite things ever. 

I love that feeling that comes after you settle in to the water. It takes a few minutes to adjust to the feeling of the water, to breathing out of the snorkel, to relaxing and just floating above everything. Then the flow happens. Our bodies are mostly water and I feel like in that moment the water in our bodies and the water in the ocean reach equilibrium. We become part of that whole. It feels like a hug to me. Like a fully embracing, wrapped in the world hug. Or maybe even closer to a dissolving. To letting go of me and becoming part of everything. I know that sounds really woo woo, but it feels that way to me. Especially during whale season when they are singing and you feel it in your chest. The song resonates in your bones. You are part of it all.

A few years ago Brent and I snorkeled alongside a manta ray. It was beautiful. The way it just glided through the water. We swam along with it for quite awhile. Moving with it. That undulating wave of a swim. 

It's like that when we swim with the honu as well. They don't seem to use much energy. Just glide along under the water. And we glide with them. 

But we also have to make sure we pay attention to where we are. How far out we are going. Because that lovely gentle swim with the ray or the honu becomes a beast of a time getting back to shore if you get too far out. You cannot forget that you have to get back to shore.

That's the ocean. It's my favorite place. But it's not something to be treated lightly. Don't swim alone. Pay attention to the conditions before you hit the water. Never turn your back on the ocean. Watch for those sneaker waves that can come and sweep you away. 

Oh...wait...that's it. That's my word. 

Ocean. 

I want to focus this year on joy, on flow, on being active in my life, in accomplishing things, in being present, in making sure I do the things I love and tell the people in my life that I love them. That's the ocean for me. 

It's kind of ironic because it might be the only year in a long time that we don't make it to Hawaii but hopefully we can head out to the coast a few times just to breathe that salt air and ground me in the world the way I like. 

But even if we don't I have a few (just a few) items around the house to remind me. 

Stay in the flow. 
But don't get so comfortable you get washed away.
Support those you love and let them know they are part of your soul.

Ocean.