One Little Word 2015 : LIGHT.

I hereby declare 2016 the year of "Light."

Less worry, more joy. Less screens, more adventures. Less consuming, more creating. Less comparison, more compassion. Less brain, more heart.

Loving harder, laughing louder, living lighter.

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The meaning of "light" spans everything from illumination to content/weight to fun and ease. It's a noun, an adjective, a verb. I love that "light" can be interpreted in different ways, and adapted to various areas of my life.

Light in my eating habits means choosing food intuitively that will make me feel my best, rather than indulging in whatever sounds good and tempting but ultimately makes me feel like hot garbage.

Light in my social life brings to mind the meaning behind the word namaste, which translates to "the divine light in me honors the divine light in you." As I want to focus on finding a community of friends in Portland, this mantra will hopefully help me transcend a bit of social anxiety by recognizing that we're all worthy of being loved and known by others.

Light extended into my creative work might mean taking it a bit less seriously and sacredly, which could allow for a more fluid and playful relationship with my creativity, focusing on the process not the outcome.

Light in my life means focusing on experiences and adventure of "stuff," and letting go of what doesn't contribute something of value. It also means being kinder to the environment and leaving less footprints behind.

And, most importantly, I want to focus on Light in my relationship to myself. To release the negative self-talk and comparison, to cultivate an inherent sense of joy and enthusiasm (something that doesn't exactly come naturally). To respect my own light, and let it radiate outward.

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I am a big fan of Yoga with Adriene on YouTube, and one of her repeated encouragements is, "Find what feels good." It's become a life mantra of sorts and I've been more considerate of how I want to feel. So, along with picking a One Little Word for 2016, I also spent some time thinking about my Core Desired Feelings a la Danielle LaPorte. My CDF's have always circled around similar themes, though the exact words sometimes change. Recently, I have clarified my CDF's as Connected, Mindful, Curious, Light-hearted, and Expressive. If those five words represent the way I want to feel, I think of Light as the meditation to set me on the right path towards those feelings.

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The day after picking my One Little Word, I opened up a bag of Yogi Tea to find the following quote on the teabag, and I think it's a good omen. Happy 2016, friends.

Travel light. Live light. Spread the light. Be the light. ~ Yogi Bhajan

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{2015: Rooted, Awake, Unapologetic. | 2014: Story. | 2013: Courageous Truth. | 2012: Ignite. | 2011: Cultivate. | 2010: Action.}

{Header image via: BlogHer}