My Word for the Year Chose Me

I’ve never chosen a word for the year because every time I’ve tried I simply couldn’t settle on a word. I’d think of a possible word and it just never seemed to be truly mine or meant for what I wanted out of the coming year. This year, I have a word for the year, but the only reason I have a word is because it chose me. 

My word for 2018 is UNABASHED. 

This is how “unabashed” chose me: 

I had no intention of choosing a word for the year because, like I told you, I can never commit to a word. What happened, though, is that I was writing about lessons I’ve learned from my mother and I described her as being “unabashedly herself.” It occurred to me that I rarely use the word “unabashed” and yet it fit my mother so well. 

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Why “unabashed” is the perfect word for me. 

“Unabashed” is an incredibly liberating word to me because I take it to mean:

• Unapologetic
• Unashamed
• Certain of oneself
• Bold
• Not worried about what others will think
• Unfazed by possible embarrassment or ridicule
• Undeterred 

I wish I could tell you that I am already unabashed, but I’m not. I worry too much about el qué dirán. I let nerves or fear get the best of me on occasion. I go for the safe choice because I want guaranteed success which does not always come with guaranteed growth. 

This year, I want to take a page out of my mother’s book and become unabashedly myself. I want to be proud, certain and bold. I want to be so comfortable in my own skin that I don’t sweat over what others might be thinking. I want to grow and inspire others to grow as well. 

I’m so excited. 

Giving myself permission to be unabashed is like giving myself permission to fly. Sadly, too many of us keep ourselves in a cage of our own making.

Let’s see where my unabashedness takes me. 

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Do you choose a word for the year and if so, what is it? 

Image via Haute Stock