One word for 2024 – TRANSPARENCY
Transparency is like truth for me but has a totally different energy attached to it too. It is still interesting to me how the words choose us like they are Obi wan Kenobi telepathically summoning us to come down into the cave to recognize our inner power. I ventured down into that cave on New Year’s Eve and like a great pair of jeans when you try them on, I just knew.
The word “transparency” has its roots in Latin and can be traced back to the combination of two Latin elements:
- Trans-: This prefix comes from the Latin word “trans,” which means “across” or “beyond.”
- -parency: This part of the word is derived from the Latin verb “parere,” meaning “to appear” or “to show.”
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, Sir John Harington was the first to use the word “transparency” in the 1500’s. While I cannot verify, the fun fact is we should all be thanking Sir John for the invention of the flushable toilet! Amazing where the word trail leads.
So, what does the word “transparency” mean to me right now, in this moment? And how will that permeate through my life in 2024? Great questions. One of those I can answer now.
TRANSPARENCY up to this point for me means being open and honest about who I am, who I choose to be and how I be and interact with people and the world around me. I know when a word chooses me it takes on quite a different depth and is challenging me to look at myself in ways I have never done before. Not just looking at myself but also looking at life from a much deeper perspective.
I walk through life everyday with words inside me, expressing those to people in conversations, in writing, and reflecting inward in different ways. But the one word every year, for me, is different with dialed in focus and spotlight on that one word the entire year.
It is like getting ready for a swim meet. You train every day and the words in the shallower end of the pool may reflect six feet and bounce back. About halfway down the lane is when you reach the 12-foot-deep end of the pool where there is more water to fill up those spaces with experiences, reflections, and moments…before it hits the bottom to reflect up. All words are just as meaningful and powerful and to use on purpose…it is simply different.
So, if you do choose a word and even if you don’t, I would encourage you to take a minute to unplug, sit in your own stillness while nature surrounds you and just listen. Do you hear a word, a thought or even see a word, picture, or painting if you close your eyes? We receive messages all the time from our inner self.
Be brave enough to take inspired action. May you have an extraordinary 2024.
“Do not wait for time to show you a path or give you direction…it is an illusion in a house of mirrors. Live life through the eyes of your soul. Grab every day with both hands clenched around it with conviction and courage, not surrendering to complacency or fear. Truly live.” m.a. schmid
