Word of the Year: Pride

[sonia]

My word of the year this year was Pride. Like my journey with Trust last year, I got better acquainted with (healthy) pride and how it feels in my body. I can be proud of myself and my accomplishments without being in competition with anyone else, and without judging anyone else. It feels like I've reclaimed something that comes naturally to young children, "Look what I did!" and that feels healing. Pride seems to be both an emotion and a skill, and even a thing in itself, as in, abruptly losing my job earlier this year hurt my pride.

Posting something I'm proud of every day for Pride Month turned out to be surprisingly fun. I recommend it!

And maybe I'll keep that permission to post things I'm proud of. One last one for 2024 - I'm proud of keeping my commitment to post every day in December, even when it felt like a strain.

My word for 2025 is Love. I chose Pride as a counterweight to feeling a lot of shame. While it's good to notice what I'm proud of as well as what I'm ashamed of, I noticed during the year that pride isn't an antidote to shame - love is. When I'm flinching about something in the past that brings shame, it helps to send love back to that younger self. I'm noticing that some of the shame comes from perfectionism, since it feels like any mistake is terrible.

It feels vulnerable to choose Love as a word to focus on and talk about. Of course I want all sorts of love in my life, to give and receive, and it sounds wonderful to bring in more love and overall get to know it better. And a positive romantic relationship would be nice if that were to happen... While love feels like an antidote to shame, there's also a lot of shame in doing it wrong, loving too much or not enough or the wrong way or the wrong people.

Once again I am committing to going gently and slowly with this one.


Full list:
2025: Love
2024: Pride
2023: Trust
2022: Home
2021: Respect
2020: Kindness
2019: Warmth
2018: Care
2017: Solace
2016: Ease
2015: Music
2014: Welcome
2013: Relax
2012: Connection
2011: Delight
2010: Flow

Comments

[jesse_the_k]

Rock on!

[sonia]

Thanks!

[batdina]

This is lovely. I am always impressed that you do this and sometimes think of doing it myself. But I'm such a flake ...

Anyway, if it's useful, I learned from Marianne Williamson that love is also the opposite of fear. Don't know it you want it or need it, but there it is.

[sonia]

Thanks. It's been a rewarding practice overall, although it always feels scary at the start of a new year.

Interesting, that love and fear are opposites. Seems like that would be true in some contexts, and not in others. Do you want to say more about that?

[silveradept]

Love is a big word to choose, but I'll bet it manifests in all kinds of fantastic and small ways.

[sonia]

Thank you! I hope so.