Word of the Year

by Stephanie Whetstone

I was having dinner with friends recently—a writer and an artist—when they each revealed they had  chosen a word in January that would be their “word of the year.”Leah’s was “love” in all its many forms; Laurie’s was “reflection,” so she would remember to stop and think, instead of constantly moving in different directions without rest.

Rather than try to make specific resolutions for improvement, they each chose a word that would become the theme of their year, something they came back to, a mantra of sorts. A reminder of who they wanted to be.

Resolutions are difficult to keep. Most gyms, packed to the gills on January 2nd, are empty by February. Dry January becomes damp January, becomes saying cheers long before the end of the month. According to Forbes Magazine, eighty percent of us will give up on our resolutions by the end of February.

Maybe it is better to pick a word of the year, a theme to strive towards. At Princeton Writes’ recent open house, we asked our guests to do just that for 2023. Here are a few words they came up with: create, normal, celebration, joy, breathe, spontaneous, balance, take flight, relax, promise, connection, reflection, take flight, “drama-less,” appreciation, and last but not least, love. I’d say the new year is off to a great start!