I can't quite believe that yet another year of us going on Wise Walks together has come and gone. In our last episode, I invited you to reflect on your previous Word of the Year, and I've been doing that too. Looking back, I can see how my word, Co-create, supported me in ways I couldn't have fully anticipated at the time. Sometimes we choose a word with a clear sense of direction or intuition about what will help us feel more aligned and in our True Stride.

When I think about why this practice matters to me, I always come back to the idea of choosing a word for the year not as something to achieve, but as something to lean and live into. A word that helps me stay grounded when things feel uncertain and reminds me of who I want to be when life gets messy. As this new year begins, I found myself slowing down and really asking what kind of support I need right now, not just externally, but from within.

On today's Wise Walk, I invite you to explore what a Word of the Year might look like for you. I share the word that emerged for me after reflecting on the past several years and what it means to create the conditions for growth, even when life feels transitional. Together, we'll consider how a single word can act as a quiet compass, helping us stay aligned, rooted, and open to what wants to unfold next.

• As you reflect on where you've been, where you are now, and how do you want to show up? What word best captures that intention for you this year?
• Is there a word you want to embody more fully, whether it feels literal and clear or more like a feeling or essence that you're drawn toward?
• Do you give yourself permission to let one word, or perhaps a few words, or a mantra, gently guide you through the coming year?
• What word could serve as a navigational star for you, grounding and centering you when things feel rocky or out of alignment?
• Looking back over the past five years and the seasons that shaped you, what feels ready to carry you into what's next?
• What word might help you transform, open, or root yourself in ways that feel aligned with who you are becoming?
• Which areas of your life feel most important to focus on right now, whether physical, mental, spiritual, or relational?
• Can you choose one word to serve as a steady reminder of how far you've come and where you're headed next?
• And as you acknowledge the work you've already done, how can you honor your continued growth and unfold it with compassion and trust?

I look forward to going on this epic adventure with you in the coming year and blooming in ways we can't even expect right now. Trusting that it will unfold naturally. As always, I would love to hear what you took away from today's episode.

Feel free to reach out and share. Then tune in to next Thursday's Wise Walk for another conversation. Until then, happy, happy New Year.

In this episode:

• [03:37] Upon reflection, the idea of opening myself up to further possibilities washed over me. For the last 5 years, I've been going inward and looking for words that would help me grow.
• [04:44] I give myself permission to choose again and wonder what the possibilities are if I open myself up.
• [05:38] There has been a tending to my inner self, so my outer self can show up the way it's meant to. Co-create supported me last year, and this year the word that popped up for me is bloom.
• [06:06] Bloom is tending your garden and appreciating nature's growth from the soil nourishing a seedling, to growing and flourishing.
• [07:01] I love that this word means that I'm going to put some roots down even in my transitional stage.
• [10:03] Another cool thing about the word of the year is that many others including striders like yourself are going on this journey with me.
• [11:03] Thank you so much for listening, and I look forward to going on this adventure with you in the coming year!

Memorable Quotes:

• • "Blooming isn't about pushing or proving. It's about creating the conditions that allow growth to happen." - Mary Tess
  • "You don't have to know exactly what's coming next to trust that something meaningful is unfolding." - Mary Tess
  • "A word for the year isn't something to chase. It's something to return to when you need grounding." - Mary Tess
  • "Sometimes the most powerful growth happens quietly, beneath the surface, long before we see the bloom." - Mary Tess

Links and Resources:

• Mary Tess Rooney
• Email
• Heart Value

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