The magic of a word

Wholeness. That’s my word for 2010.

I’ve never chosen a word (or perhaps more accurately had a word choose me) for the year. To have a word present itself to be the focus of my intention and awareness… it’s actually kinda awesome.

How my word chose me

Like many people, I found myself midway through December thinking about where I’d been 2009 and where I wanted to go in 2010.

Thanks to the time I’ve spent with a whole bunch of smart people, I already knew I didn’t want to tie myself in knots coming up with specific goals (not yet anyway). So I decided to approach this thinking in a deliberately dreamy, relaxed way.

I let my mind rest softly on what was happy-making (and unhappy-making) in 2009, and dance freely across different themes that appealed. For 2010 I simply asked: ‘what do I need?’ and ‘what do I yearn for?’

And answers bobbed to the surface.

Consolidating and strengthening the roots and supporting structure of my business

Giving attention to my health

Refilling my creative well

Finding a way to grow at pace that’s  comfortable for me

Going more deeply into what I’m about and what I have to give to the world

Saying ‘no’ to people and situations that aren’t a good fit, so I can say ‘yes’ more often to those that are

All these felt really right. I was satisfied with what I had.

A couple of days passed.  And then, without even asking for it, my word arrived.

Wholeness.

And man did it arrive. You know a word has chosen you when it hits with a WUMPH! In your chest. When rolling it around your mind and mouth sets off tingling down to your core.

The magic bit

The magic bit is that this one word brought together three pages of answer writing. It took my disparate ideas and notions and yearnings and wove their edges and then folded them, over and over, until I was holding just one flat papery little thing in the palm of my hand.

A flat little thing so small and light that I could slide it into my pocket and carry it anywhere. Knowing that everything I need is tucked inside, ready to unpack when I am ready. It means I can hold and remember my intentions, without being overwhelmed.

But that’s just the start of the magic.

Because soon after, when I took that flat little papery thing in my hand and tugged at the edges, it unfurled with the most amazing whoosh.

What popped out was not only the thoughts I’d started with – there was a cascade of new things. There were more detailed specific goals. There were also bigger and more meaningful connections.

It was like one of those incredibly fancy fold-out greeting cards with a whole world hidden inside. You’re expecting ‘Best Wishes on Your Birthday’ and you get a miniature circus with clowns and horses and even a trapeze artist flying through the air.

That’s the magic of a word.

Oh, and the fact that it’s unique for each person. We could have exactly the same word — our flat little things could look exactly the same from the outside — but what I discover in mine will be completely different from what you discover in yours. And what I discover in mine will even change depending on when I open it (and reopen it).

Would you like to know what’s unfurled from Wholeness for me so far?

Wholeness is about giving compassionate attention to every part of me – even the stuff I don’t like, or am afraid of, or am simply bored with.

Hating and berating parts of myself (like the part that’s terrified of doing less than perfect work), or trying to run away from parts of myself (like my chronic illness) is just so damn tiring and pointless.

Wholeness is about knowing and caring for every inch of my physical body. It’s not an inconvenience, it’s part of my reality here and now.

Wholeness is about being wholly me in my business and my relationships.

When I work with people to uncover their core message, many have some element of their business or themselves that they’re trying to hide or gloss over. Because it’s not ‘special’ enough. Because they think other people aren’t interested or don’t want to hear about it.

Often this is the very thing that becomes an important part of their core message — that in turn gives them the confidence to go out into the world as their true selves and really connect with the people they want to serve.

I want this wholeness for myself, and I want to help others find it through my work.

That’s what wholeness has given me so far, but I know there will be more. It could be the start of a very magical year.

2 Jan 10   |   Read more on Life, Learning etc.   |   10 Comments »