Restore & Sweetness
my word and feeling for 2024
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Happy New Year!
I know we are halfway through the month, but it still feels appropriate to say Happy New Year since this is my first email of 2024.
Every year, during the holidays, I take a break to reflect, chill, and enjoy time with friends and family.
And I love that I do that for myself.
While on break, I like to come up with a word and feeling that I want to focus on for the upcoming year.
My Word For The Year is Restore
My word for 2024 is restored.
Restore means to bring back to its original state, to renew.
I chose this word because there are times in my life when I feel like I lost parts of myself.
In family, friendships, and relationships, I became a version of myself to fit in and protect myself.
I was so afraid of being abandoned, because of my childhood wounds that I grew farther apart from my authentic self.
Lately, I’ve been thinking about the twenty-something version of me and the life-altering decisions I made before my brain fully developed.
I became a wife and mother in my early twenties, and those roles shaped who I was, and I lost myself along the way.
I think about the lyrics in Adele's song, "Easy on Me" when she says,
"I was still a child and didn't get the chance to feel the world around me. I had no time to choose, what I chose to do, so go easy on me."
This is how I feel, and I am giving myself space to choose who I want to become and healing the parts of me that made big life decisions prematurely.
I Want My Life To Feel Sweet
Imagine eating a peach, and it's the sweetest, juiciest peach you ever eaten.
You eat it slowly so you can savor the deliciousness.
From my business to my relationships, friendships, dating life, my home, I want every aspect of my life to feel sweet.
This video was the inspiration of wanting my life to feel sweet.
Why Choose a Word and Feeling
I believe choosing a word and feeling will help you be more intentional with showing up for yourself.
It will serve as a guide to help you stay grounded and something you can always return to when you need to feel centered.
My word for 2023 was curiosity, and I wanted to feel present. I share on my podcast what I learned about myself and what I experienced. Take a listen.
Things Worth Sharing…
If you’re looking for a free tool to help you have an amazing year I recommended downloading The Year Compass.
Hands down Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan is one of the best books I’ve read. 5 Stars!
I made bread in my Dutch Oven. Here’s the recipe
In this week's episode, I share what I am learning about myself in therapy now that I am focusing solely on myself. Take a listen, and I would love to know if you’re in therapy and what you’ve learned during your process.
Subscribe and listen to today's episode on Spotify, Apple Podcast, YouTube, and Amazon. Enjoy and share the episode and this newsletter with a friend!
Let’s chat…
I love to connect with my community and have conversations and the comments are where we’re going to make that happen. Share your thoughts about the podcast episode, the newsletter, or respond to the prompt.
Q: What’s your word for 2024? How do you want to feel?
If you were inspired by today's email or podcast episode , and want to be kind and show your support, I'd be delighted for you to treat me to a cup of coffee. Thank you!
With love and light,
Siobhan
Oooh I love your word and the reasoning behind choosing it. My word is “abundance.” 2023 took so much from me and while I do t want it all back, I do want what I am deserving of and am audacious enough to demand an overflow! I took want to be restored in a way, but there were so many parts of my old self that didn’t serve me well that I don’t mind if life is making me a new somebody, which is what it currently feels like. Happy new year!
My word for the year is "jetè"
I had been mulling over a few words going into the year—tender, alignment, play, strength, and leap. So, I wanted a word that would encompass what all these words mean for me this year. I finally came to the word "Jeté." It's a ballet term for jump or leap, but the word's root means "to throw," indicating that there's some force to make the movement happen. But, when you see it on the stage, it looks gentle, graceful, and joyful. What you can't see from the stage is the practice, coaching, and intention that made that leap look so beautiful.