Revising my 2024 Word of the Year.

     Each January or February for the past several years, I've selected a "Word of the Year" for myself for that year. Kind of a year-long personal mantra if you will? A word that I always hope will encapsulate my personal growth, experiences and memories during the next 12 months. As per usual in 2024, I had picked a Word of the Year and written a blog post about it back in the winter. But for the first time I ever, I am changing my word midway through the year! 

     My original 2024 Word of the Year was "Celebrate." Back in February, I wrote this about why I chose this word for 2024:

      "The year 2024 is going to be a huge one for many reasons. On a personal level, I turn 30 this year, and it's also my wedding year! These are two gigantic and notable things that I'll remember for the rest of my life. Just the things in my personal life alone is plenty to celebrate. But that's not even including all of the exciting life events for many close friends this year. I have four close friends who are also getting married in 2024, several close friends who are pregnant or recently had babies, and also several friends who join me in turning 30 this year. Talk about celebration after celebration! 

     This is going to be a year of blessings and big life events not just for me, but for so many friends who mean so much to me. I want my focus this year to be on celebrating the big things in my life, and the big things in lives around me."

     Are all of those things still true? Yes! This is still the year that I'm getting married, and also still the year that I have so many exciting milestones to celebrate for friends near and far. But this year has also brought a large and unexpected amount of shock, grief and change, thanks to the loss of my radio job (and likely my radio career). 

     The word "Celebrate" just not longer seems fitting to sum up a year that has also had such low points for me. This year is only halfway over, and it's already shaken me to my core and brought so much change. After some reflection over the past few weeks, I've landed on a new Word of the Year for the rest of 2024: TRANSFORM.

     

   This year is bringing so much personal and professional change to my life. Getting married and becoming a wife is already a huge amount of change! Especially since I'll be 30 when I get married, and spent much of my 20s as a single woman. And the professional change that comes with leaving radio and pursuing a new field has been huge for me. It's exciting yet scary, overwhelming yet peaceful, and confusing yet clear. And to add even more change to this year, I turn 30 in September and officially kick off my next decade!

      I feel all the different versions of my life and myself in states of transformation, so for the first time in my blog's history, I'm changing my Word of the Year mid-year. (I mean I make the rules around here so I can do that!! 😂) I can't wait to embrace how God continues to transform my life in 2024. If I've made it this far, I'm certainly ready for whatever else is left to come!! But fingers crossed that it's all good things, and no more bad surprises- ha! 

     God Bless,

      xoxo Annaliese