2023 Word of the Year

On my last birthday, a sweet friend from high school sent me a text that said this: 

I pray that this year is full of immense peace, direction, and alignment for you

That was one of the kindest texts I received last year. It was meaningful and each of those words have stuck with me. Peace. Direction. Alignment.

​The idea and expression of "alignment" came up multiple times more in my thoughts, work, books, and talks to a point where I knew there was something to it. I knew it had to be my word for 2023.
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Looking Back 

Let's make life a song. 
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2022 consisted of way too many suprise staccatos and unrestful pauses, starting with a heart-wrenching break on January 1. 

For me, the song accelerated faster than my beat or measures could sustain. 

• No space for intentionality
• Some room for reflection
• Few moments for decrescendos...but if I'm being real, they were more like choppy halts which felt too abrupt and poorly planned.

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In all of it, however, 2022 was also exactly what my word of last year emanated: 
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Hesed

2022 Word of the Year; "Steadfast Love"

In the moments of burnout, heartbreak, change, and tears, there was a steadfast love that held my song and story together. Like a string tugging me in challenges and growth pains, it was also a string which properly released itself to rest in a supernatural presence only found in Jesus. 

And in that, He showed me his care and proximity in the most creative ways and through the most incredible people: 

• Through mentors and new roommates
• Through clients and new teammates
• Through big moves and new cities
• Through reflection and new revelation
• Through fervous prayer and new vision

"New" isn't always bad. It's just, well — new. 2022 was a revelation to me that some of the best things happen out of your comfort zone...often times, those circumstances give birth from trying something new.

​So, here's to a NEW year — one of peace, direction and ALIGNMENT. 

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Looking Forward 

Alignment. 

When something aligns, it makes sense. There's clear direction, connected purpose, and proper cadence to it. 

Alignment expresses a level of atunement to WHAT you do or think or say, and WHY you do or thing or say what you do. There's connection as to a greater "why" which founds and frames your personal mission statement and purpose here on this earth. 

There is a fluidity to it; there are moments of risky and grand crescendos, timely pauses, and feel-good chorus lines. Ultimately, every stylistic element comes together to create a beautiful song because each beat is played with planned and wholehearted intentionality. 

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Starting Present

I started going to this church in Long Beach and in one of the Sundays during their Advent series sermons, the pastor asked a simple question that sparked my attention: 
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Are you living in alignment that Jesus is Lord?

​Do I believe that Jesus is Lord?

​- Yes, I do. 

But that's not what he asked. He asked, "Are you living in ALIGNMENT that Jesus is Lord?

- The question is different and so should be the response. 

I believe that alignment to something is both internal and external. It is an exercise and discipline to take on what you are trying to align with inwardly and then expressed outwardly (order matters*).

​From personal experience, desiring to align with something can start with an invitation or calling or even revelation to a matter that you believe is important. At the same time, a desire for alignment can also be integrated within yourself since you were young, or from years of experience in an area of your life you've been exposed to. 

​The next step to it involves an action and accountability piece to it. Hang with me here:

At the end of the sermon, I took some notes on this question that was prompted and how to start living in alignment to this truth and reality that can be helpful on a much broader scale. This journey may require the "RE-s" that people don't necessarily love to hear because it usually means 1) doing work and 2) undoing work to "redo" intentional work. 
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• REorient & REalign: As much as we would all love to simply "align," so much of alignment requires realignment of former ways that weren't serving  the direction we are trying to pursue. The beautiful part of a new year is that there is a human psyche piece that erases the previous year with ease in the belief that a new year provides a fresh start. However, "orientation of a new year" is heavily influenced by the experience and life you lived up to this point. Because of this, there may be areas for re-orientation and re-alignment. 

 

• REflect & RElease: We are all guilty of holding on to grips too tight that aren't in alignment with the life we desire to live whether it be habitually or occassionally. I had to reflect on some of those grips in 2022 that I'm learning to release. Time is a valuable asset, and all the "New Year, New Resolutions" taglines that media extrapolates and spams our emails and socials with are simply a marketing scheme for most companies to boost conversions and spark engagement. You may be a Type A, high achiever, go-getter kind-of-person like me, but as much as we try to defy the truth, we can't do everything. We are going to have to say "no" to certain things to say "yes"  to better things in alignment with the direction we are trying to move, and that requires a release of some or many things. No one likes to run aimlessly. Run with direction.

 

• REfocus & REst : this is my personal favorite yet my hardest integration. When I get into something, I put all my focus, effort and energy into it. Living in alignment is a daily surrender and battle that must be fought in different circumstances and events. So much of it is an internal ask in our heads — 
  • "Is this in alignment with who I am?
  • "Is this in alignment with the life that I want to live?"
  • "Is this in alignment with the person I want to become?"
  • "Is this in alignment with the practice I want to build?"
  • "Is this in alignment with the values I want to represent?"

Refocusing to your "WHY" is the first step to then aligning to that in action and words. And it can be hard. Making time to slow down and rest brings me back to my WHY. Whether it is a sabbatical or simply "a change in place and pace", I am always provided with new perspective and wisdom if I am intentional about it.

​Maybe these are some "RE's" that are worth thinking about for yourself. Here's to all that 2023 is and will be. I hope this year brings peace, direction, and alignment for you.