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It’s 2020 and what a year of promise! I’m excited about it already. I love the symbolism that accompanies the auspicious date. The very nature of the number 2020 hints at clarity and vision. For those with the openness to see clearly, 2020 offers opportunities to cast visions and gain personal and business insights.
As is my custom, each new year begins afresh with a word, symbol and song as companions for the twelve month journey. This is my Year of Curiosity and I’m full of anticipation for where it will lead me.
Year of Curiosity – the Word
As is evident, my word for this year is curiosity. I’m thrilled about this word. The definition is “a strong desire to learn or know something; a strange or unusual fact or object”. My intention for 2020 is to follow curiosity, daily, to see where it leads me. I’m curious about everything, and have been since childhood. I love when curiosity nudges me and I begin the “what ifs” or “wonder whys”. Curiosity possesses the power to launch adventures and unlock doors of opportunity, if I will follow where it leads. I am willing to follow.
I looked up the root word for curiosity. It is derived from the Latin word cura. Our words “care” and “careful” come from this root word as well as the word “cure”. At first I found it difficult to see how curiosity and careful can be related. However, I love the connections I perceive with cure, which I suppose could loosely be defined as “take care of”. How amazing to think that we can take care of or cure boredom, stagnation, fear, ignorance and complacency with an energizing injection of curiosity.
I love the paths that curiosity leads me down. This year I’m throwing off restraints and eagerly journeying under curiosity’s guidance.
Year of Curiosity – the Symbol
As soon as I realized that curiosity was my word for the year (check out this post to see how I choose a word each year), I picked up my childhood copy of Alice in Wonderland. This junior deluxe classic book, published in 1954, has accompanied me throughout my life. I’ve read the story many times. I strongly associate curiosity with Alice and her adventures in Wonderland. As I read through the story again I wondered, curiously, if the rabbit from Wonderland might be my symbol for 2020.
It turns out the key is my symbol. A key unlocks doors so that passage can be gained. Curiosity is the key that unlocks more knowledge and deeper answers and it opens doors to paths that disappear around the bend in the road. Those paths beckon to me. I must follow to see where they lead.
Ironically, after I accepted that the key is my symbol for the year, I happened to glance at the spine of my well worn book. There is a drawing of the rabbit…and a key. That makes me smile. I’ll create an art piece for this year, a sketch of the rabbit holding a key. And throughout the year, the symbol of the key will remind me of my journey and guide me. It serves also as confirmation that I am on the right path by appearing at key times.
Year of Curiosity – the Song
My song for the year typically arrives last, sometimes months after the word and symbol. Music is important to me and I look forward to seeing what song shows up repetitively, which is my signal that this is the right song.
For 2020 I thought I knew the song…”How Far I’ll Go”, from the Moana movie and soundtrack. And then a Jack Johnson song, “Upside Down” began to show up. That song, from the Curious George movie and soundtrack, even contains the word curiosity in the lyrics. I felt torn between the two songs. When I’m not sure, I wait.
Today, I decided to go ahead and call it, choosing the song “Upside Down”. In the car I listened to the song. It’s a good tune. I like it. Then I listed to “How Far I’ll Go”. Tears filled my eyes. My heart beat faster and I could feel emotions swirling around my heart. I knew. THAT’S my song. The connections between the lyrics and me are powerful. I wrote another post, unpacking this song more fully, and sharing why it impacts me so. Listen to How Far I’ll Go.
A New Adventure is Underway
I’m off, on a new adventure. I have no idea where curiosity will lead me this year or what doors it will unlock. However, I’m here, alert and aware, gazing forward and inward at the same time. Curiosity calls to me, “Come with me…”. I’m eager to do so.
Do you have a word, symbol or song for this year? I’d love to know.
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