2026 Word of the Year

I’d been casually noodling around with my Word of the Year** for the past few weeks. Nothing was robustly resonating. 

Wonder was the strongest contender, as my known natural default is to breeze through life in my head, checking to-do’s off the list, often missing the beautiful ordinary moments (hence authoring books on pausing and paying attention in everyday life). 

Solid, yet missing that energetic yes I’ve felt when choosing a word in years past.

As I sat for meditation New Year’s morning, my Word of the Year bubbled up unprompted, as creative thoughts often do. 

STRONG.

Yes, that’s it. 100% resonance. 

STRONG in body. 

As a teen in the 80s, it was skinny over strong. No muscles for us. And, boy, did we take that imperative to heart, myself included (I wrote about it in Don’t Forget to Breathe). 

In midlife, though, STRONG is key. Strong muscles, bones, joints to carry us (if we’re so fortunate) through long, healthy second halves of life. Lifting heavy is empowering and energizing.

STRONG in mind.

Not the current bro bravado (insecurity or narcissism dressed up as false strength); rather, quiet, compassionate confidence. Choosing to look for the good instead of ruminating on the negative.

Feeling fear and taking intentional action in spite of it. Recognizing the imposter when stretching out of our comfort zones and welcoming her. Attempting new endeavors with an attitude of experimentation and fun, rather than hesitation and fear of failure. 

Tits up and giving it a go without any guarantees. (Hat tip to the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.)

STRONG in emotions. 

Not denying, suppressing or repressing feelings (c’mon, I’m a psychotherapist!); rather, allowing emotions to rise up and be felt deeply, trusting the intensity will eventually subside. Feeling what needs to be felt so it can be processed instead of it unconsciously driving unskillful, unconscious behavior. Knowing that feeling the unpleasant expands our capacity to feel the beauty, the love, the wonder all around us. 

And there is that word again. WONDER. I’m going to keep that one in mind, as well.

My wish for US ALL in 2026 is to move through the world with STRONG in the driver’s seat and WONDER riding shotgun. 

Happy New Year!

**I began choosing a word of the year back in 2015 (with a few missed in between). It’s a simple reminder to check in, stay grounded in my values, and course correct throughout the year.   

Previous words-of-the-year:

2015 Balance 

2016 [??]

2017 Love

2018 Empower

2019 Growth

2020 Bold

2021 Soar

2022 [  ]

2023… Simplify

2024 Alignment 

2025 Amplify

Do you choose a word of the year? I’d love to hear it.