Well, here we are on the other side of the holidays, finding ourselves facing a new year and wondering what it’s all about. Do you feel a little like a cartoon character that emerges with a ‘pop!’ from a bubble, shakes itself off and stands in wonder of a new and unknown scene? Maybe it’s just me.

I’ve never been very good at New Year’s resolutions though I admire those who can set them and stick to them. But I’m a simplify-it-to-the-nth-degree sort of person and I’ve come up with a plan for 2013 that just may work better than New Year’s resolutions.

I’ve chosen five words to focus on, to set my Intentions for 2013.

Words are very, very powerful. Our worlds are defined by the words we attribute to them. The System I wrote about in The Happy Place is based on the power of words and I’ve experienced this power on my own healing journey.

My five words are lettered in calligraphy on a tent card standing on my desk, but more importantly, I’m going to commit to them daily until they sink deep into my heart, until they inspire and become my new way of being in life.

Why five words? Wikipedia  says the number five represents “Action. Restlessness. Life experience”. As I understand it from my limited knowledge of numerology, the number five represents change. It seems to me to be the perfect number for this exercise.

My five empowering words for 2013:

• Flow
• Intuition
• Joy
• Abundance
• Fearless

Why these words? I’ve experienced flow in my life and I love it. I want more of it; I want to flow through my days and through my experiences. I’m just beginning to hear the voice of my intuition and I intend to pay more attention; to befriend her in 2013. Joy is a choice. I intend to choose joy at the start of each new day. Abundance? Oh, it’s time for abundance, don’t you think? Finally, in 2013 I intend to begin to lead a fearless life just as my son Alex was fearless.

What five words characterize the life you want to lead in the next twelve months?  Why are those words significant to you?

I thought we might have some fun with this idea. You may know that I do calligraphy. Offering calligraphy services was my first business. I’m going to put the names of anyone who shares his or her five words in a hat and later I’ll draw one. I’ll write the winner’s words in calligraphy on a tent card and mail it to him or her.

photo: Lori – this is a portion of the Word Cloud of The Happy Place