I’ve never really been someone that jumps on trends. For better or worse, that’s just not me. This applies to the trend over the past few years of picking a “Word of the Year.” I’ve just never felt like it was a very organic process for me. It made me feel like an imposter. However, when something hits you in the face, you take notice.
Born from Frustration
My word for this year came out of frustration. Several situations in my life caused a rough start to the year. From illness to unexpected tax bills to a car dying its final death, I was looking for the return policy on 2025. On several of my first calls of the year, I struggled to greet clients with a smile. I didn’t want to unload on people, but I also didn’t want to be inauthentic. That erodes trust faster than anything.
While participating in the first Mastermind session of the year with my cohort, something shifted. I was updating them on All The Things, listing frustrations and fears. Wondering how I was going to make it through Q1 with a business still intact. They listened with so much empathy and support that something broke through.
I started to pull the silver linings out of every situation I was facing. Wildfires in California were completely out of control at the time of this call. It hit me in that moment that things really could be so much worse. I could be losing my home. My family could be in danger. We could be facing a diagnosis much more life-threatening than a nasty virus. Each situation I was facing had something to teach me, and I started articulating that.
The Word
When I finished, the facilitator of the group said, “Wow, Ellen, what a great reframe!” And that’s when it hit me.
I’ve written about some of the challenges my family has faced in the past year with two young adult kids coming to live with us unexpectedly. It’s been a very tough year in many regards. But there’s also been so much beauty, so much love, and more laughter than tears. It gets hard to remember that sometimes… until I intentionally choose to reframe what I’m seeing. What I’m looking at. What I’m looking for…
My word of the year is Reframe.
I plan to let it serve as more of a compass than some sort of resolution. There’s no goal attached to the word. Instead, it’s there to remind me to stay pointed in the right direction. To choose to intentionally decide how to see the situations that occur. And when I find that I’m going down the path of frustration and unproductive overwhelm, I’ll reframe.
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