Cresting The Hill

Thank you so much for your very kind words Alice - it always makes my heart happy to find that what I share brings joy to someone else. I'm looking forward to a lovely 2025 and I hope yours is too. :)

Yes, it does sound delightful - and I like that it includes "light" in the mix - something I always look for - nothing like a bit of sunshine and joy. :)

Hi Debbie - I just popped over and really enjoyed reading your post and catching up on all that's been happening for you over Christmas too. Hope is a lovely choice of Word for your year after the sadness of 2024.

Thanks Denyse - it just resonated with me when I chose it - like it was waiting for me to be ready to be delighted with my year. :)

Hi Judith - I like Presence - it has a feeling of connection and investment in where you are and who you're with. I'm hoping that Delight will keep bringing me back to remembering how blessed I am and to choose joy always.

Thanks Sue - I love the sound of the word too - it has a smile tied into it whenever I think of it or use it.

Hi Donna - I'm learning that life is often about how we choose to respond - rather than what's actually happening. We can be in similar situations and handle it completely differently based on how we view what's happening. I'm choosing to be proactively delighted - maybe not with everything.....but with all that I can as often as I can. :)

Hi Susanne - you're journey towards strength and fitness is always so inspiring. I think having the courage to own your progress and to work towards your goals sounds like the perfect Word for your 2025..... building on 2024's achievements.

Thanks Jo - I loved the sound of it, the thought of it, and the outworkings of it - and that makes it a pretty delightful WOTY for me :)

Hi Yvonne - I chose Release as my first every WOTY because I really needed to let go of my need to be in control of everything and to have everything work out the way I thought it should - it was a recipe for disappointment to live like that. I think it was the beginning of a significant shift in my approach to life - and then choosing Embrace the following year where I was more intentional about what I allowed into my world, that was a shift too.
I hope 2025 brings you little bursts of delight here and there and reminds you about how good life can truly be. I think we have to make room in our lives for the good stuff or the bad things tend to crowd in and steal our joy. xx

Hi Kristine - I know exactly what you were getting at - it's about loosening our expectations and the drive to do everything and do it perfectly - it doesn't mean we stop and become dull commitment phobes, but that we're more intentional about what we choose to invest our energy into. I heard about glimmers a couple of years ago from Pat (from Retirementtransition) and I loved the idea too - pausing to recognize those little sparks of joy and small blessings that are all around us and often go unnoticed.
The negativity bias that we're all susceptible to often steals those moments and draws us to all the 'what's wrong with the world' stuff - I'm curating my life towards what I can influence and away from all the noise that the world throws at me - truth is often lost in click-bait.....give me snowflakes in the streetlights any day! And thank you for opening your email every Monday - I appreciate it. :)

Hi Pat - thank you so much for being able to offer words of encouragement for a light word choice in amongst the load you're carrying atm. I never want to make others feel like my life is all 'peace, love, and vegetables' - I know it's tough and even tougher for many others who pop in here, but I do want to share the little bright sparks and thoughts - we all need that in the dark days don't we? Here's to a brighter 2025. :)

Hi Christie - I think I need to get back to my gratitude jar where I kept little moments of goodness to remember my blessings. And yes, I can see how the words I've chosen have changed with me over the years too - I think it's something we all notice when we look back, and it's why I love this concept so much. I'm hoping that choosing such a lovely, joyfilled word this year will guide me to appreciating all the little blessings that are part of my life every day. Happy 2025!

Hi Deb - thanks so much for popping in - I often wonder how you're going and await a post updating us. You're certainly nailing the book reviews btw. Have a great 2025.

Hi Jennifer - thanks so much. It just seemed to emerge and call to me when I got serious about drilling down to what I want my life to continue to grow into. Happiness is such a treat and something to always appreciate and to delight in - and that's me goal!

Hi Deb - I really liked your word choice too - and (as I mentioned on your post) I like the idea of intentionally investing in being present with others - being 'interested' rather than worrying about being 'interesting'. I'm looking forward to the year ahead and just relaxing into it and allowing the small moments of joy to have more focus.

Hi Mona - I really like that definition of Stoic....I think sometimes words get taken over by something they were never intended to be, and we lose them in the process. I heard a definition of Grace the other day - which was 'forgiveness balanced with justice' and it's been swirling around inside my head ever since. I'm going to ponder your four virtues some more because they're all so important to live well. Thanks for sharing it with me. :)

Hi Christina - I think when we carry deep emotional hurt in our hearts, we learn ways to live with it and deal with it - but it never truly heals because we always hope for resolution. I hope the year ahead brings you comfort and peace in your new home, and that there's heapings of joy and contentment in the days ahead. x

Hi Leslie - I love that "grand chapter of life" and "I really like who I am better now than anytime I can remember" because they both resonate with how I feel about this stage of life too. I read others writing about resenting being "retired" and how they want to reinvent themselves using the same scale they did when they were working every day. I have none of that - I'm just so ridiculously grateful to live life on my own terms and timetable - I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like to be so driven to "succeed" still.

I'm finding that "Delight" is popping up on my radar more now I've chosen it - a bit like your "Believe" did. I've done a lot of soul searching and working on who I am and what I want my true "self" to look like - this year I want to just settle into that and be the best version of myself while being grateful for all the good stuff. I'll be sharing my journey as the year goes on and following yours too. x

Hi Gwenyth - I think we're on a similar path for the year ahead - where we just want to sink into living with gratitude and focusing on all the good that comes our way. It's going to be a lovely year. :)

Hi Erica - Happy New Year to you too my friend. I hope your year ahead is a delightful one and that you keep popping in to say hello. I do find that whatever WOTY I'm drawn to seems to come into its own and encourage me during that particular year. Last year I needed to find my centre, and this year I feel like I need to relax my expectations and just find pleasure in the simple blessings that are always around me. Life really is good when we pause long enough to appreciate it. :) xx

Hi Mona - thank you so much for thinking of me - Equanimity ended up being such a great guide for me last year when I had to look inward to find what really mattered and to make some changes and strengthen some boundaries. I'll definitely look into seeing if I can get my hands on that book - it sounds like an excellent read. :)