My Word of the Year 2023 – Compose

Happy New Year, Everybody!!

Can you believe it’s 2023?!  Whether you’re a young whippersnapper or a young-at-heart boomer, time flies. Whether we’re having fun or not.  So I hope you’re making the most of it!

Do you pick a word of the year to focus your intentions?  It’s a January thing and usually falls by the wayside by February but here goes anyway! 

My word for 2023 is:

COMPOSE

As I enter my third act, I’ve found that I accidently retired.  How does one accidently retire?  Well, in June I left a job where I felt unseen and under-utilized, intending to write for the summer, then find a more fulfilling job.  But as the blue sky summer turned to golden red fall, I kept writing and just loved being home, with no outside responsibilities.  I just can’t imagine working for anyone else on a regular basis again.

2023 is the year I want to COMPOSE my new life.  Here are the ingredients:

Well written stories of various lengths to self-publish.

A home that’s less cluttered and more refreshed.

A diet of healthier foods, less sweets and more water.

Days filled with equal parts productivity, leisure and exploration.

I always thought of myself as a composer of jewelry during that creative phase of my life, bringing together disparate materials to make something new, beautiful and useful.  The last six months have been great and productive, writing-wise, but I want to compose a complete, intentional world that satisfies my dream of my ideal life.

In the end, all we can do is our best on any given day.  Plugging away at our dreams, trying to be positive and effective and at peace with ourselves.  Which made me think of these lines from Desiderata, which hangs on the door of my workroom:

So here’s to a Happy 2023!  Let the universe unfold for you in its mysterious, joyful, troublesome, beautiful way. I hope you make progress in composing your ideal life this year.

Please share your Word of the Year in the comments!

Photo by BoliviaInteligente on Unsplash