My Word for 2025 is “Be”!

I used to think words of the year were unnecessary and yes, kind of stupid!

I thought a word was just someone’s way of making themselves feel better about whatever they were trying to prove to show others that there was a plan in place for their life.

But one year in the classroom, we started the new year with a project that required the students to choose one word that described the goal they would work towards for a better version of themselves.

We gave them a list of words to choose from and to my surprise, they loved the assignment.

As I helped the students, I started to think about what I wanted to change in my life and it wasn’t just one thing like happiness, contentment, or gratitude.

I needed a word that would allow me to work towards all things positive and empowering in a person’s life.

So I chose the word “Be”. Why? Well, not just because of the the word itself, but all the words I could add after the word “be”. I then could create phrases like, “Be kind”, “Be Myself”, “Be Curious”, “Be Forgiving”, “Be Grateful”. You get the idea.

I struggled with excellent and expected words like positivity, gratefulness, love, etc., because I know they are great words to center 2025 on and is always something I should be working towards.

However, words like these were not enough for what I am feeling inside. If I went for these words, I would still be working towards the status quo.

Is there something wrong with the status quo? No, because who would not want to work towards happiness, gratefulness, and positivity. It’s just that choosing one of these words was not enough. If I choose one word, I felt obligated to just work towards that one area of improvement.

I needed a word that would encompass the whole of the changes I want to bring to my internal person. I wanted a word that empowered me to work on the basic need I have to just be me according to me, not just the version, or role, other people have cast me in for most of my life.

I am tired of being the person that everyone has determined I should be or what everyone else wants me to do, and I wanted to give myself permission to be a more authentic version of the person I wanted to be, on my terms.

I am the one that has spent the most time with me, and I know what makes me tick.

So, my word of the year is “Be”! I will the best version of Char that I could ever have imagined. It will be difficult because I have to break through the expectations that others have had for me and that I have been submissive to – but not anymore.

It’s time to be me and what a wonderful time I plan to have as me in 2025!!!

Let me know what your word of the year is and how you plan to be the best version of yourself this year.