A New Way for a New Year — Cherie Kephart

How many of us make New Year’s Resolutions and then a few months, weeks, or even just days after we made them give up on them? It’s probably because most of our resolutions are difficult to achieve and maintain. They are also often steeped in self-judgment and a negative self-image. With each resolution, we are essentially saying we don’t love who we are. It is definitely a beautiful thing for us all to want to grow and improve ourselves and our lives. But there are gentler and healthier ways to go about this.

A New Way

Last New Year’s, I was feeling a slight urge to do something special for the upcoming 2018. I didn’t want to make a resolution, but I did want to bring forth a feeling with me into the New Year. After a deep meditation, I had one word that stuck with me: Balance. I craved more balance in my life, so I set forth my intention for 2018 to have more balance. A whole year devoted to balance. I didn’t state anything specific that I was going to do or say or be, just one word.

How Did it Go?

Amazing! I often checked in with myself and asked, “Am I in balance?” If no, I thought about what had brought me out of balance and what I could do to get back in balance. It never felt like too much, it never felt negative, and it was absolutely joyful to carry an intention, one that made me feel happy!

So this New Year’s came around and I thought about my one-word intention for the year. Did I want to do it again? A resounding YES flooded my mind, heart, and spirit.

This year my word is Authenticity! Just like with Balance, this doesn’t mean that I don’t already have some balance or that I am not authentic. In fact, I believe to the most of my ability that I am both of these. But I am opening myself up to going deeper and finding those hidden parts of me that are ready to be healed and seen. I want to be my most authentic self and live from that space more and more.

The fun part of doing these one-word intentions is this: they are cumulative. Meaning, 2019 is not just about Authenticity, it is about Balance and Authenticity. Next year I will add another word, and each year after that, so I will carry all of those light and love-filled intentions with me.

If you were to pick a word for this year, an intention to live your best life by, what would your word be? Whatever you choose, I wish you both balance and authenticity in all that you do.