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first off, thank you to each and every person who commented, texted, emailed and so on with congratulations and excitement over baby #2! we are excited, especially now that i’m feeling less like horrible ball of terribleness.

so, picking a word of the year. i’ve had zero motivation/energy to think of anything other than ‘which crackers are going to make me gag the least?’ this past month. now that my brain and body are back to functioning, i’ve been rolling around a few things in this ol’ noggin.

my word last year was ’embrace.’ i reread my article (is that weird?) about how to pick a word of the year. my mind kept swirling back to embrace but at the same time it sort of felt like i couldn’t pick the same word again.

um, says who?

i realized that embrace keeps floating around my head because i obviously still have some work to do around it. the other word that kept popping up – release. that’s telling, isn’t it? this year, i’m doing something a bit different. i’m going to focus on what needs to be released as well so that i can fully embrace my whole self and whole life.

i have yet to reread about why i picked the word for last year but here’s what i’m working to embrace this year:

embrace this pregnancy / release my expectations, many of which come from my last pregnancy and labor

embrace my changing body / release the media’s carefully crafted ‘message’ of what beauty looks like

embrace the full range of my toddler / release taking her tantrums and whining personally

embrace that my life looks different than planned / release what i pictured because my actual life is so much more dynamic

embrace that our marriage is active / release getting trapped in ‘how it used to be’

embrace that our life is different than a lot of people around us / release the socialization to live a traditional life

embrace that i have value to offer the world / release the notion that i can’t make money while also adding value

embrace my evolving identity / release that i often feel stuck in a past version of myself

embrace the help that is offered and available to us / release the need to feel like i have to do it all

embrace each day and know that it’s different than the last / release expectations of the day and be more flexible

embrace how my mind works uniquely / release the fear that things have already been done or said before

embrace more of the journey / release the pressure of seeking constant accomplishment

embrace the continued seeking of life / release the notion that there is an end goal for understanding myself and my life

embrace that i am enough / release the self-doubt

this is my key focus of the year, i am going to release many of these current beliefs to be able to embrace my full self and life. it feels right.

what about you? have you picked a word or a phrase of the year? tell me about it!

8 Comments

  • Elyse says:

    I love your words, Chelsea! They are perfect for your 2019 life, that’s for sure. I thought about using your word Embrace for mine this year but it didn’t seem 100% perfect. I kept mulling it over and then it came to me on a billboard – JOY. I have a lot of joy and fulfillment as a mother but not so much as a stay-at-home type person so I’m trying to find joy in the monotony of life.

  • Audrey says:

    I love this marriage (and balance and weaving) of “embrace” and “release.” I think they go hand in hand, yet give you plenty to work on independently. Great choices! I’ve never thought about using two words- the idea of adhering to one is overwhelming to me- but I think you chose the perfect pair. I think it might be easier (or more natural, at least) to focus on the two of them!

  • Dinah says:

    I’ve been waiting for this post all year long!! I’ve shared your joy of the word of the year! I had an amazing discovery in 2018 and have been learning the essences CALM but now there’s a need to keep the calm alive in me but at the same time SIMPLIFY! This word can be transferred to the relationships I’m in but also the clutter we consume in our live. I’m ready to begin a massive year of getting rid of stuff along with toxic relationships! Keep looking inward and that version of yourself you desire will emerge!!

  • Claire says:

    Hey Chelsea, absolutely LOVE the words of embrace/release and I appreciate how you gave us examples. It feels really calming to see those words working together. Thank you for sharing.

  • Great post! I think last year I didn’t pick a word so this year, I choose “BOLD” I am going to make bold choices and be bold in my approach to boundaries and living my best life. Most importantly, I am going to be bold about being authentic and vulnerable.

  • Amberly says:

    I LOOOOOOVE this so much!!!!!

  • Charlene says:

    These are some great words! I love all the things you’re embracing and releasing! Good luck in accomplishing those goals.

  • Brian Melket says:

    Self compassion, self awareness, self love.
    Release works. 🙂

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