Word of the Year

I know you’ve all heard me say before that each year, starting sometime usually in December, I start intending for Spirit to deliver to me my word for the upcoming new year.  This word, or short phrase, is my focal point, my North if you will, for the next year. In hardship, confusion, struggle and praise it is my guidepost and filter.

In 2022, I remember sitting down with Spirit in meditation to get a layout of the year.  I remember them showing me a vision of people getting sprayed full in the face with a high-pressure water hose, “for many it will feel like drinking from the firehose”.  I thought at that time, “wow, that seems like a lot for them.”  At that point, I assumed the experience would be for others as our year ahead looked calm to the point of boring…my word for 2022 that came sometime later was more of a message than a word.  It was basically an agreement to live creatively and came with instructions to say yes, or rather, to not say no to anything without pausing to allow possibilities to arise.

It sounded easy enough!

In January, I sat down for coffee with a friend of mine who asked me to consider running the businesses he and his wife were considering building which included a major land purchase and procuring lots of very specific and large items to create an experience from scratch. I told him my Spirit message for the year and said we should stay connected as their vision moved along.

I walked away from that coffee meeting as proud as can be, for instead of a usual response of ”‘um, no, I’d have to leave my practice to do that!”, I just said, “keep me posted as your vision expands”. Inside myself, I thought smugly, “look at me killin’ it”.

Oh, little girl.

I am writing to you from the living room that used to be our cabin but for now is our full time home, while Clarence is remodeling our house on his family farm in Leader MN.

This year:

  • We remodeled the cabin basement complete with guest room, fireplace, wet bar and tongue and groove walls.

  • Hosted a wedding reception along with family from around the country.

  • Bought the farm in Leader, MN.

  • Lost my first “in-law” RIP James Christian Brady.

  • Lost my Dearest Uncle Dickie – he was like a father to me.

  • Updated my house in St. Cloud, listed my house in St. Cloud, went under contract eight days later.

  • Took our kids on our first all family vacation to see the kids out West.

  • Did lots of packing.

  • Landed new office space and moved my St Cloud practice out of my house.

  • Did more packing.

  • Sold my house of 25 years and walked out the door one last time. I’m not crying, you’re crying.

  • Packed Clarence’s son Erik for a career move to AZ.

  • Moved to the lake.

  • Did lots of commuting.

  • Stayed with my parents one night a week.

  • Started traveling to Duluth to work with clients.

  • Did lots of driving.

  • Clarence retired from a 44 year career .

  • Lost our good friend Nancy from up at the lake.

  • Clarence lost his dear cousin Arlene, who was going to be my only female neighbor at the farm.

  • Began remodeling the house on the farm 45 miles away .

  • Discovered we seriously need stock in Cenex/Holiday Stations/KwikTrip.

  • Brought extensive mindfulness into all of my friendships and work relationships as none of them are as convenient as they used to be and still SO VITAL TO ME!

  • Prayed to settle into the house on the farm sometime in January 2023 (oh – you’ll hear about it for sure!)

 

And here we are in December. As I sit in my now house, my husband at the farm working on our future home, I am reminded of that “word of the year” and that vision Spirit gave me way back a year ago when I thought it would just be for everyone else…what happened to boring?

Oddly, the list doesn’t even look that long. I think it’s all the emotions that went along with it all.

As good of a year 2022 has been, it certainly has resulted in feeling deeply all the things. The good, the loss, the changes, the small and big wins, the letting go and letting God, the trusting, the healing, shit – the crying. I cried when I was happy, I cried when I was scared, I cried when I was grieving, I cried when I had an intuitive glimpse of the peace and beauty my life can hold, I practiced letting go A LOT in 2022, and that is exactly what this year was meant for.  Shifting. Changing. Realigning. Clarity.  And now, moving forward.

I meet 2023 with excitement and a healthy dose of respect for her power!  As I sit and meditate awaiting my message or word for 2023, I do with a slight wincing in my posture, lol. I have tremendous hope for all the amazingness our future can hold. I never would’ve thought I’d be here right now with my life as it is…but it is. A year ago, I had no idea what that firehose and message meant, and I think that’s for the best.

Sometimes I guess we just have to be willing to meet the force of the flow and say yes.

Happy ending of 2022.  May we all feel the blessings of this year, however crazy they appeared.

Forever the journey, Anne

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