This is my first year doing an official “word of the year,” but it feels so right to me, particularly because it correlates with my yoga studio, where we set an intention for each new eight week class.  In either case, it’s a word to hold onto when you’re needing inspiration and direction, something to guide you as you make choices day to day.  The word I’ve chosen this year actually came to me last spring but I still feel its power and feel it deserves its own recognition.

Here’s where I tell a bit of an embarrassing story about myself on how this word came to find me…I love Katy Perry and I love her song Firework (this isn’t the embarrassing part, so I hope you aren’t laughing already).  Last year, I was in a rough place with my job.  I wasn’t feeling challenged in any way and just felt as though the gifts that I had to offer the world weren’t being utilized personally or professionally.  So much so that whenever I heard the song Firework, it would choke me up.  Every. Single. Time.  There were actual tears on more than one occasion.  The line “You’ve got to ignite the light and let it shine” was a particularly resonating one for me, hence the word choice.  Truth be told…the fact that I was crying to a pop song isn’t even the embarrassing part.  The actual embarrassing part is that I let my life get to the point where I felt that demoralized about what I was doing without having done something to change my route.  And so, I started this blog.  And I separated from my job.  And I got a new job that I love.  And I’ve had an amazing time planning some events.

And although I’m in a much better place than I was nine months ago, Ignite still resonates with me and where I’m at in life.  It pushes me to continue moving forward in my journey, to continue sharing my skills and passions, and never be content with an ember.  Maybe at some point in 2012, I will feel the desire to change my word and this one will transfer to having been my 2011 word, but right now, this is still my word.

If you’ve chosen a word for 2012, I would love to know what it is…please share!