2024 Intention: Centered
A few years ago I was trying to break free from the toxic resolutions loop that refuels itself every January. There are so many reasons I chose to opt out of that cycle, a few of which being: that I will NEVER be a new person (and that’s fine- me and myself have so much history together), I fundamentally oppose any cycle predicated on shame (our bodies, wardrobes, and houses don’t need to be beautified in order for us to deserve belongingness), and I had some serious personal work to do on unlearning perfectionism (e.g. constantly pursuing self-improvement).
All that aside, I truly do love a new beginning. So in the absence of a resolution, I began to set a one word intention (integrity, peace, connection, etc.) for each new year. What I love about the one word intention is that it creates a container for change, it invites me to have hope without making any demands or requiring any purchases.
This January I found myself feeling unmoored, out of focus and hollow, not really sure where I was heading but desperately trying to figure it out. It’s from that space that I landed on the word “centered” for the focal point of my year ahead. Centered doesn’t require any answers or even any sense of direction, which is great because I still have neither.
So what is it? The closest I can come to a good description of my center is a sensation of safety within, an anchored calm, peace that can’t be stolen but can coexist with both joy and sadness. In practice, being centered means creating and caring for the home within each of us so that no matter what happens outside of ourself we still have interior respite. Here are some practices I’m developing to cultivate centeredness in case you’d like to join me:
meditation (think 3-5 minutes a day)
creative expression like my life depends on it
exploring what choices I would make if no one else was watching (what do I want to eat, wear, do for fun, etc.)
making some of those ^ choices
spending time in nature
spending more time on hobbies (even if the laundry piles up, and it has)
caring for my body in a way that feels loving
I think internal calm is something most of us desire and struggle to experience. Sometimes the demands of the things on the outside (work, kids, partners, family members, household tasks, friends, etc.) end up absorbing our primary focus without us even realizing it. This idea sounds something like “as long as my job or relationship or family is good then I am good.” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve learned and re-learned the hard lesson that the things on the outside aren't a solid foundation to base my well-being off of. Important, absolutely, but not a foundation for my emotional stability, or yours. So this year I’m finding my center for moments at a time, I’m losing her, and then I’m coming back to her… over and over again.
Although we are mostly through January, you can set an intention at any time. Here are some reflection questions in case you want to choose a one word intention this year too:
What do you want to embody?
What do you want to feel more often?
What strength of yours do you want to explore more deeply?
What will it take for you to feel more at ease?
What do you want to release? What can you reach for instead of that?
What feels nurturing to who you are right now?
DAWN by Daniel Lepik