"Expressive"
One word to guide me.
So, this is 2025. As I posted in early January on my social media platforms, I’ve switched from making resolutions to guiding my year with the power of a single word or idea.
My word for this year: Expressive.
First, let me confess that I feel far from perfect lately. Let’s remove the stigma and admit our online presence doesn’t reflect real day to day life. I get it… My mood has been struggling, my energy has been low (forgot to take Vitamin D!), my place is a mess, my work life is a bit crazy, my home life is still lonely from time to time, my world has its own challenges, and my mind is contemplating huge changes because I can’t continue this way.
I just need renewed focus or direction or something…
So, I promise to be more expressive.
In 2025, I want to:
• Get back to my first love, writing. Writing gives me joy. Express all of the powerful emotions and sensations from my wins, losses and travels. Stick with it in writer’s critique circles, even though I’ve neglected my fiction writing for over a year.
• Express myself in different ways. I enjoy way more in life than just Northern Lights, and it’s time for me to add a few things to the mix.
• Express fully what I want in my life, whisper those desires to the universe and find the courage to pursue them, to express what I’m seeking in the moment, to express what I’m feeling in a place – even to strangers, to express what I know to be true and to be open about the need to overcome challenges and change.
• While I almost chose “direction” as my word, to choose my pursuits rather than saying yes to every question that comes my way, I instead want to sort of metaphorically express where I’m headed in my goals — make that elevator pitch, apply to that program and ask to be a part of it, write inquiries to express my interest in what I want to do most!
• Express my experience as a guide and community leader to those that have an interest. Be open about what I do, and what I don’t do. Keep it real, and yet engage with the public more!
• Express how deeply I desire to be immersed in the outdoors, and push myself physically and nutritionally, so that my pup, Elio, and I can go way farther in our adventures — and conquer vigorous physical activities together.
• Express how much I want to visit those who’ve touched me the most, and make the damn plans!!
• Respond to the dozens or hundreds of messages and comments I get on social media and messaging apps — I can’t keep up, who am I kidding, but maybe at least try!
• Maybe even find the right “microphone” to tell my story. Although in truth, I’ll probably instead begin writing chapters of a memoir, and keep thinking about my story’s place in the world.
• Reclaim who I am at heart, an open-minded, gregarious extrovert (or ambivert?), who wants to host parties and make memories with interesting people. I worry I lost sight of this in my difficult childhood, my failed marriage, and again in the global pandemic. Take the initiative to invite the world in, where we can express ourselves in good company!
• Be more expressive on social media. Even on politics. I’m not quite sure how to word it, but sometimes it is the nature of a person’s mind, heart or soul that makes them unique, gives them power in vulnerability, or connects them to those who listen. While social media has definitely changed for the worse, I still think what we say on these platforms is important.
I want to be a voice of hope. A voice of insight. A voice of authenticity.
The creatives, the sensitive aesthetes, the dreamers. The world needs us, now.
It’s a time to be expressive.