My Word for 2024: Authenticity

 Authenticity is another tricky concept for a recovering people pleaser, former "good girl" and newly sober woman. As I started to think about my word for next year, a few ideas came to mind. Peace, joy, sobriety, genuine, truth, honesty, overcome....these are a few of the words that really spoke to me. I kept thinking on it for a few more days, and kept coming back to the concept of being authentic. Being real. Being me. So AUTHENTICITY is where I landed. This will be my word for 2024. 

According to Wikipedia, "Authenticity is a concept of personality in the fields of psychology, existential psychotherapy, existentialist philosophy, and aesthetics. In existentialism, authenticity is the degree to which a person's actions are congruent with their values and desires, despite external pressures to social conformity."

In choosing authenticity for the next year, I have a few things that I want to focus on. 

1. My sobriety

2. My relationships

3. My career and goals for the future

My sobriety is the key to living my authenticity through and through. It is the cornerstone to being genuine and real and showing up as the best version of myself. It is my non-negotiable. It is my truth. My sobriety is strengthened by listening to podcasts, reading quit lit and self-improvement books and blogs, following sober influencers on social media, and journaling or writing. These are the tools in my sober toolkit and they will continue to be my tools in 2024. 

My relationships are also paramount to my authenticity in 2024. My marriage and my relationship with my kids are the most important relationships in my life. Followed closely by my relationship with my parents, my nieces, and my nephews. Those are the people I want to show up for. Next, come my relationships with my sober community, which includes family members who are sober and my online sober community and friendships I've been building since September 14, 2023. 

My career and goals for the future are the next priority for my focus on authenticity in 2024. I will be making some changes in 2024, and they might include going back to school, becoming a volunteer CASA (something I started the process for in February 2023 but was derailed by two deaths in the family and my surgery in April 2023), volunteering at my church or for non-profits that are near and dear to my heart, and following my instincts in pursuing a life that is full of passion and purpose, bringing that into my career endeavors and continuing education or training. I also plan to finish and publish my book in 2024. Those are things that I value and want to showcase in this next year of authenticity. 

Do you choose a word each year? What was your word for 2023 and how did you show up for that word? What will your word be for 2024? I'd love to know! 

My word for 2023 was victory. I think when I chose it, I wanted to be victorious over my health struggles. But I think subconsciously, I knew this would be the year I was victorious in my sobriety as well.