When Ana assigned me the exercise of choosing a word to guide the year ahead, stay in alignment in my day-to-day and inspire shifts both big and small, I carefully, intentionally and enthusiastically chose the word ROMANCE. Though I was, in my nephew’s words, “single as a Pringle,” I did not mean romance as in that dance between two people—I think of romance as more of a posture, or way of moving through the world.

To me, romance does not mean looking at life (or people) through rose-colored glasses. I believe it’s about falling in love with reality. Ultimately, it’s about presence. Grounding myself in the gifts available to me in the present moment. A means of returning to my senses and tuning into the beauty and abundance around me at all times, even in times of hardship.

More than a guiding word, romance became my creative practice. At a time when everything seems to be designed to dull and numb our senses, I was curious what would happen if I prioritized not just falling in love with the world around me, but staying in love—suspended in that state of reverence and wonder. I wanted to invite softer, slower, gentler, more colorful, more soulful ways of being.

To honor my commitment to romance, I made a list of unromantic habits that I wanted to curb (like rushing anywhere for any reason, eating pre-made meals, wearing anything remotely uncomfortable or unflattering—even when lounging around, scrolling social media, complaining about politics, watching murder shows on Netflix) and a list of romantic habits that I wanted to lean into (like cooking with herbs and colorful ingredients, lighting my home with candles, drinking more water, wearing beautiful clothing—even when lounging around, waking up when it’s still dark to write, sitting at beautiful bars to work, going for long walks without AirPods, talking to strangers.)

After making these lists, I rearranged my whole apartment to make living romantically easy. (Because EASE is romantic.) I cleaned out my closets, reorganized my cabinets and removed all clutter and distraction. I put the candles where I could reach them. I moved my favorite cooking appliances where I could access them. I threw out or donated lots of clothing. I revolved my schedule around trips to the farmer’s market. (Because CONSISTENCY is romantic.)

Romance became an excellent decision-making filter. It made it so much easier to choose what to wear, what I wanted to have for dinner, who I wanted to spend time with and what kind of work I wanted to spend my energy on.

Over the course of the year, this small, simple act of choosing a word was transformational. It helped me reorient around what matters most. The world came more alive when I changed what I gave my attention to. The pace of life slowed enough for me to notice the sacred in everything. My heart opened to new ideas, experiences and people. And I’m so pleased to report as my year of ROMANCE comes to a close, I’m no longer single as a Pringle. I’m in a relationship with someone as in love with the world as I am—the kind of relationship I’ve always prayed for. And we’re exploring that other kind of romance, as in that dance between two people.

-Stephanie, New York, USA

I had been brainstorming what my word would be for weeks. My logical brain decided it would be perseverance, because doesn’t that sound strong? I was coming out of the two hardest years of my life and that word sounded like it could carry me through whatever else was thrown my way.

But something interesting happened as I was ready to write down my word. I took a moment to meditate/pray/sit in silence before writing it down on the white stone I planned to keep on my desk for the year.

I heard a quiet but deeply grounded voice from within say, “That’s not your word. Your word is listen. There is a lot I need to tell you and you need to listen for it.”

My intuition, voice of God, whatever you want to call it, stopped me in my tracks. I wrote down the word “LISTEN” instead.

A month later, that same voice guided me to end my 25 year relationship with alcohol. I haven’t had a drink in almost 2 years and it’s the best thing I’ve done for myself.

-Rachel, Colorado, USA

Last year was the year I had been waiting for, for a very long time.

On paper, I had everything you’re supposed to want: a family, a house, a car, my own company, friends.

But in reality, nothing felt alive.

My relationship felt frozen in time, unmoved for years.

Sex had no pulse.

My child felt lonely and emotionally unsettled at home.

The new house we bought didn’t echo with love or laughter.

My car seemed to attract fines and accidents.

My business wasn’t moving the way I knew it could.

And my friendships—well, some weren’t there when I truly needed them. And maybe I wasn’t there for them either.

That’s where I found myself at the beginning of 2025.

I tried to create a dream board. It failed.

It was a half-baked collage of an abstract life I no longer recognised. I couldn’t even picture my dreams anymore—because they were mine alone now, no longer shared, no longer supported, no longer given permission to grow bigger, freer, deeper.

After that failed attempt to dream, Ana-Maria invited us to choose one word to guide the year.

I thought long and hard.

And my heart screamed it.

VIBE.

Loud. Clear. Non-negotiable.

Aligning the vibe.

Choosing the right vibe.

Living in a higher frequency.

Something invisible—yet deeply felt.

Then came the question: What does VIBE actually mean for me?

We began breaking it down, petal by petal.

Vibe meant trust—trusting my own energy and the energy of others.

It meant communication—real, clean, honest communication, not silence, not mind games, not emotional harm.

Vibe meant being unapologetic about who I am, what I stand for, and what I truly want.

It meant fearlessness—taking steps no one else could take for me, leaping into a different reality.

Vibe meant being powerful, bright, vibrant—walking into a room and being felt, not hidden. Being seen.

Vibe meant my authentic self, always—no shrinking, no pretending to be less than I am, and sharing my frequency freely with others.

The final two words surprised me: sales and care.

Care showed up in unexpected shapes and forms, through people who taught me that support doesn’t always look the way you expect it to.

And sales?

Sales brought me into rooms with other entrepreneurs like me—people who understood my daily struggles, shared their wisdom, exchanged real strategies, and helped me grow. The vibe of sales changed my environment, my conversations, and the people I spent my time with.

So where am I today—exactly one year later?

I am happy.

I am the VIBE now.

I have hired.

I have grown.

I have new love in my life.

I have out of this world sex. 

I have a happy, healthy child.

I live in a home that is fully mine, filled with my energy and good juju.

I have filtered my friendships down to those who can hold my frequency—who support instead of compete.

I have a growing business.

I have freedom of expression.

I live in alignment.

And now, I’m stepping into my next word of the year:

SURPLUS.

Let everything multiply.

Let everything bloom.

Let everything surprise me.

Let it overflow beyond the edges of the cup and fill the space around me with love and joy.

That’s where I am.

-Marie, Geneva, Switzerland