Hello!
I hope you are having a wonderful start to 2023. Truth be told I’ve been a bit skittish about making any grand declarations about the new year due to, well, everything. But to my delight, 2023 has been really good so far. It’s only been three days, but so far, so good.
As many of you know, I’ve been selecting a word of the year instead of making resolutions for over a decade now. Here are the words I’ve selected so far:
2012: More
2013: Simplify
2014: Me
2015: Real
2016: Delight
2017: Power
2018: Stellar
2019: Connection
2020: Create
2021: Celebrate
2022: Love
To quickly recap on my theme for 2022, LOVE, here is what I said at the time:
It is my goal to live as much as possible from love. That's vague and means a lot of things by design, but to me love begins with love for self, and continues with love for others.
I’m working the muscles needed to not do things or deal with people that don’t come from love.
Did I succeed? YES.
I’m happy to report that there is a lot to love out there, and that what I love is most definitely not what you love (at least not exactly) AND THAT IS THE POINT. I can love dogs and my people and clay and writing and tea and poetry and books and trees and museums and funny shows and most of all, me, and you don’t have to like all the same things. It’s OK.
In fact, it’s more than OK.
Because if we allow ourselves to love what we love, to be vulnerable in what we focus on, then eventually all good things get loved. You don’t have to do it all.
Want another lesson I gained that in retrospect is super duper obvious but it took me 46 years on earth to figure out?
You don’t have to do things or deal with people you don’t love. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? I couldn’t, but I do now.
If you are in my life it’s because I want you there. (Congratulations!) And no worries if I’m not someone you love…you can’t force these things. It just makes more room for good things, so it’s OK if it didn’t work out. I’m here loving what I love and you do you.
That was a productive 2022, wouldn’t you say? On to 2023!
Here’s a hint to this year’s word:
It’s not landlines, or Lhasa Apsos or peignoirs or Joan Collins or silver tea sets. I know it’s shocking, but this year is not going to be about the fuzzy robe either. (I may or may not be wearing one at this moment - it’s raining here in Massachusetts and that robe looks insanely cozy).
No, the word that comes to me when thinking about 2023, is DYNASTY. If I was being literal it would be “building dynasty” but as a child of the 70s, I like the severe glamour of the word DYNASTY alone. I draw the line at walking around in huge shoulder pads, but I do like the campy fun the word brings up.
What does that have to do with my real life? A lot, it turns out. It’ll make more sense when we look at the dictionary definition:
dynasty /ˈdaɪnəsti/
noun, plural dy·nas·ties.
a family, team, etc., that is very powerful or successful for a long period of time
a sequence of rulers from the same family, stock, or group:the Ming dynasty.
the rule of such a sequence.
a series of members of a family who are distinguished for their success, wealth, etc.
Yes, this year I want to focus on setting up my family as the beginning of a long line of humans who know how to live well.
I have three teenagers, and my husband and I are planning for our next phase(s). I’m not 100% able to know what the next ten years will bring, but I know this is the year to build a solid foundation. And while “dynasty” is typically associated with wealth (or that social media favorite buzzword, “abundance”) to me “dynasty “is feeling more like building the foundation of a new family line. It’s less about legacy and inheritance - the things you leave behind - and more about this new thing we’re building together.
I just really enjoy this stage in life, and this is where my focus is, building a foundation for all of us, so we can be the ancestors worthy of our descendants.
So that’s what’s new with me. Tell me, what’s new with you? What’s your 2023 word or resolution - if you’re like me and into that sort of thing? (It’s ok if you’re not! We already established that you will love what you love and I expect nothing less from you)
xo,
roxsar •*