Welcome to 2012! I sense an auspicious year for many of us, hopefully all of us. It’s been a wonderful year of learning to live sustainably, soothing my inner saboteur, and wildly growing in all different ways. Last year’s word was Wild Growth, and I think that came out to be very true.
If I had to pick one overarching theme, it would be Blossoming.
Thank you all for coming to read my site. I am so grateful to every click that comes my way, you have all enriched my life and I hope we can continue to blossom together in this special year. I am truly amazed that I have been blogging for over a year now, and still a part of this wonderful community.
Honesty
I’d like to be even more honest with myself, and my communities both online and off. I don’t want to fear rejection, and I don’t want to wear a false persona. To me, there is no duality between my online and offline self. The two are one.
I love green living and sustainability, but I also love fusing genres and engaging in creative alchemy. I love the frontier, where visionaries dance with the wilderness, igniting rays of light through the darkness, fueling collective evolution. I truly know so little, and so I should never cut myself off from different perspectives.
I am an evolving being, and my work will reflect this. My honesty is raw, my experience is real, and not everyone will have the stomach for it. But in the end I hope to gift something meaningful and universal to everyone that comes my way.
I’m going to invoke more Honesty by Inviting Rejection. What if Rejection is your friend? The friend that always reminds you to stay centered, love yourself, and trust yourself.
Focus
Exploring and experimenting come easily to me. Focusing on one thing, to make it the best it can be, is rather difficult. This year calls for deep, sustained focus, in order to realize my dreams of grad school, financial freedom, and a creative digital side business.
Commitment
Commitment is showing up every day to do what I want to do. Maybe I won’t feel so amazing about it all today, and maybe tomorrow I’ll feel nothing. But in the end, it will be totally worthwhile. Big dreams don’t actualize overnight, and they are never all peaches and cream.
Giving
You get what you give.
Giving is expressed through service, charity, or authentic spirit. I want to give more in these areas. I want to uncover the joy and meaning in service. I want to be of true service, to be the medicine. I want to give more of myself, the love and wisdom within. I’ve learned to hold back after years of rejection. I’m ready to stop this and just be me, give freely of myself with no strings attached.
Nurturing
No growth, giving, or focus can happen without proper self-care. I want to deepen my commitment to holistic well-being, and really take care of my body, mind, and spirit with healthy food, happy thoughts, and soul-nourishing pursuits.
Embodied Presence
I want to be fully present, fully attuned to the moment I’m living. I want my ego, my higher self, my integrity and frivolity to all be there, ready to express if the moment is right. I don’t want to be in the presence of wonderful people and have my mind escape to futile daydreams.
Over to You
What does 2012 hold in store for you? What themes or words would you use to set an intention for the year?
Thanks to Lori for breaking the one-word mold and choosing 3, freeing me to choose 6 
photo by ViaMoi
Great post, Lynn. Your comment about rejection really rings true for me. 2011 was definitely the year of being rejected for me! Ouch. In that vein, one of the words I want to focus on this year is resilience. My tendency is to brood over things and close myself up after being hurt, and I know neither of those things is a healthy or productive response. The word that I chose last year, at Sandra’s prompting, was consciousness. I’m pretty sure that one will be a lifelong goal and guiding light.
Thanks! Yea, rejection is no fun!! I take things personally too and tend to brood and close up a little too much as well. Even when it isn’t direct rejection, I can still take it personally. So I’m learning to just detach myself from what anyone else is saying – whatever they say is an expression of themselves, and really has little to do with me. Consciousness is definitely a lifelong thing because of its complexity and elusiveness. Good luck with resilience! Resilience is a great word
Lynn,
I’m delighted to hear that wild growth came to fruition for you in 2011 and has prompted your to wildly chose 6 words for 2012. Many of your words resonate for me. I find honesty with myself is first and foremost. Then wise discernment helps to determine what I share with others. I feel like commitment and focus will be a big part of my life this year too. And embodies presence is another juicy one. I need to get the “body” part in there!
My word this year is “faith” in the sense of having the courage of my convictions and living life with the realization that it is like a dream.
Wishing your the brightest year yet in 2012.
Thanks, Sandra! I find it so hard to just choose one word or theme for the year when there is so much I want to explore and work with! I love Faith as well. I’m exercising faith in myself, in uncertainty, in the Universe, and in a bright future.
I should write more (privately and maybe publicly later) on Embodiment – it was really the freeform dance we did at Permaculture that has gotten me thinking a lot about the concept of Embodiment.
Wishing you your best year yet as well in 2012! I look forward to seeing your work blossom too
Wow … each and every one of your words are so powerful. They are lofty goals but so worthwhile. I think that my main words this year will be “Understanding” and “Patience”. We are all traveling to the same place via different paths. My path is often very different from that of my family and friends … and that makes them uncomfortable. I know that different paths are not necessarily better or worse … just different. So I need to understand that those who care about me worry about a life which is different than theirs. I need to have patience with them as they work through their understanding of me and my beliefs. And I suppose a third word is “Willingness” … a willingness to be open-minded and accept that paths and beliefs can change. And, of course, “Love” because if we operate from a basis of love, then understanding, patience and willingness come much easier.
This was a wonderful, thought-provoking post. Thanks, Lynn!
Thanks! I try not to think in terms of “lofty” and just go for what it is I want. Otherwise I get bogged down feeling like I’m not “worth it” which is just false – everyone is worth it. *cue Brene Brown* You’ve got some lovely and powerful words as well! It’s really tough to come to terms with the fact that some of the people closest to us will never fully understand us. I cut myself off and just don’t share certain parts of myself. It hurts, but I feel stronger for it in the end. I want to be more open and honest and just not worry about what other people think. I’ll still do my best to avert drama or conflict. If someone is instigating an attack at me, I just won’t respond and will probably just leave the area. I’m really starting to see that what others say has basically nothing to do with me, and everything to do with them and their beliefs. Good luck!!
All 6 of your words really captured the essence of you, Lynn. I’m glad that I was able to help you break out of the one word mold. My favorite word that you chose is Honesty. That was one of my words too. Maybe next year I’ll up my three words to six!
Haha, thanks!! These were the words on my mind. I didn’t really plan for 6 but it worked out
As with Lori’s three words, I can find your six in my list, but it’s a long one (in fact, the more I think about it, the more words I can add). I think honesty and focus are the two that really stand out, from among your six, because I need to be more true to who I am and I need quality over quantity when it comes to how I spend my time. So excited to see what 2012 has to offer us all!
Haha, maybe there’s just a lot on your mind
I didn’t analyze too deeply and just went with whatever had been floating around in my mind for the last few weeks. Wishing all your dreams come true in 2012 
What a rich and nourishing post, thank you. The items that stood out for me were: the phrase creative alchemy and what you say about showing up every day. This latter can be difficult once the shiny newness has worn off, but you’re right, this is where growth comes. My theme this year is small choices – the moment to moment turning to growth and light instead of what’s easy.
Thanks, Tess! Sounds great – it’s definitely a challenge, one that I always struggle with. I’m sure you’ll see the light
Your photo is captivating..riveting..I could meditate upon it..wow!
Please write about “Embodiment”– I would love to learn from that reflection:)
I *love* all of your words..each means so much to me, and is similar to the path I am exploring recently. Blossoming is a magnificent word because it allows for each stage of growth through your other words that you mention. I am excited to observe (and connect) as your year unfolds!
My intent word for 2012 is “excellence” as in truth and transparency and all that is life enriching. Within that I am exploring the concepts of commitment and focus–allowing for a new depth of excellence:)
Thanks, Joy!! Your letter has been incredibly inspiring for me – Commitment really stuck. Your work moves me in so many directions of growth! I *love* your concept of Excellence, and seek to embody and incorporate it into my own life! I am excited too to see how your journey unfolds and blossoms. May you have a delicious 2012
I happened upon your site today (I think it was the name that caught my eye) and am very glad I did. But – I wasn’t going to comment until I saw this post well, because, my word of the year is Bloom. I think every one of the sub-words you came up with fits so well with where I am as well in the midst of coming to terms with going after what I really want to do in life, not settling for a less than authentic version of it. Am really enjoying what you’re doing. Thank you!
Thank you! That’s cool we chose the same word! Yea, I am not a fan of settling either. I’m happy to connect with you!