Between Effort and Release
Since 2015, I’ve chosen a word of intent for the year. Over time, I’ve approached this ritual in two ways: either in retrospect—to describe the year that has passed—or as a guiding principle—to shape the mindset for the year ahead.
Choosing a word in retrospect offered a sense of freedom—allowing me to ebb and flow with the unknowns of what was to come. It gave space for life to unfold naturally, without the pressure to live too intentionally in moments that needed to evolve on their own. When lessons arise organically, they stay with you longer.
In contrast, selecting a word as a forward-looking principle has always come during seasons when I’ve felt called to grow—times when I needed to see life through a new lens or evolve beyond a familiar mindset.
Regardless of how each word arrived, their collective power has been profound. Each one has marked a chapter of my story—a quiet witness to my becoming, one word at a time.
I’m also part of a beautiful community of like-minded individuals who believe in the power of words and their meanings. This community is called More Than a Word. Each month, we gather to explore a single word—its definition, root origins, synonyms, antonyms, and the emotional reactions it stirs within us.
We share personal interpretations and experiences while considering the cultural and societal nuances that shape how we understand language—and ourselves.
We celebrate each year with a workshop and retreat, filled with movement, meditation, and reflection to reveal a word or phrase of intent for the upcoming year.
This year, I struggled to choose a word. I thought to myself—perhaps 2026 will be the year where it finds me, through natural evolution and experience. Then, in a moment of reflection, it did. Not just one word, but many.
Between Effort and Release is my intention for 2026.
It will be a year of letting go of expectation—a year lived in between the belief systems that have kept me either trapped or grounded, as I learn to release the ones that no longer serve me.
Just as I’ve learned to understand the meaning of words and how they stir within us, this will be a year of understanding my beliefs and how they stir within me.
As you begin your journey for 2026, I hope you find moments of solitude, reflection, and yielding—to uncover what is between you, and between effort and release.
Happy New Year!
Between Effort and Release
I softened—
into the unknown,
with trepidation
to be met new,
with a tender vigor
to allow
for release.
I stumbled—
past pebbles
and boulders
of expectation,
into unguarded waters—
yearning for ease.
I found myself—
once again
in between
effort and release.
- James Allen 2025