A word of the year?

Damn. It's been deep-thinkin' kind of stuff in these parts lately. Sorry for the emotional outpouring. But rest assured, your favorite, foul-mouthed sass monkey (can I even call myself that without offending someone?) is still here. She's just all contemplative. And stuff. That said, this post is going to veer toward the Hallmark channel. Hang with me.

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Songstress and lifecoach Christine Kane kicks ass. Her music fills my iPod and her blog is a favorite of mine in my reader. Each year, one of her most popular posts is about the word of the year.

The gist is this: Each year, Christine picks one word to help guide her through her whole year. She has a lengthy post here explaining a) why resolutions suck and never work and b) why the word of the year is a good option and explains how the whole system works.

She gives, as an example:

Let’s say you are one of the many people who would normally choose “Get Organized.” You look around to see clutter and crap all over your life. You’re tired of the chaos. So, you think, “I need to get organized. That should be my Resolution this year.”

But then you read this blog. You decide to try it.

You sit with your clutter. You spend a few days pondering words that will inspire you. You realize in an “Ah-Ha!” moment that you tend to cling to lots of things. You’re scared to let go. So you choose the word “Release” because it inspires you in a bigger way than “Get organized.”

So, every time you approach your clutter you remind yourself of that word. “Release,” you say softly. You start to let the clutter go. Eventually, you realize that you’re still holding on to lots more than just physical clutter. You realize that you hold onto resentment at old relationships. “Release,” you remind yourself. You realize that holding on is affecting your diet and health. “Release” applies to some of the extra weight you’ve gained as well. Throughout the year, you can see clearly how much you hold on. “Release” is your touchstone. It grows you throughout the year. It becomes your guiding force, not your harsh standard.

Your clutter became your teacher simply because you shifted your intent towards it. This wouldn’t have happened if you’d opted only to “Get Organized.”

I'm not sure what my word will be yet. But since it's just a few hours away from December, I feel like I'd like to get started on the brain storm.

Maybe Journey? Reclaim? Action? Focus? Conscious?

There are so many to pick from. So, here's to starting the thinking process. Any words inspire you for 2010?

Photo courtesy of BabyGAPModel.