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Listen to the Full Episode:
Your Word of the Year: How Choosing One Word Can Create Alignment, Clarity, and Freedom
“Your word isn’t your resolution…it becomes your compass.” – Dr. Sonia Chopra
Welcome back to University of Why, the podcast where we ask the deeper questions so we can reconnect with ourselves and create a life that actually feels aligned.
Today’s episode is more of a conversation than a teaching. It’s one of those moments where I want you to slow down with me, take a breath, and really reflect—not on what you’ve done this year, but on how your life has felt.
Because we spend so much time measuring outcomes. We measure success by numbers, milestones, growth, productivity. But what we don’t measure nearly enough is our internal experience of our life.
And that’s where this idea of choosing a word of the year becomes so powerful.
It shifts the focus from doing… to being.
Why Choosing a Word of the Year Changes Everything
Every year, I choose a word. Not as a resolution, not as a goal, and definitely not as something I try to perfect.
Instead, I treat my word of the year as a lens. It becomes a way that I filter my decisions, my energy, and my attention. It’s something I come back to when I feel disconnected, overwhelmed, or pulled in too many directions.
What I’ve realized over time is that your word isn’t something you chase, it’s something that grounds you.
It becomes a quiet, constant reminder of who you are becoming, refocusing you throughout the year.
And if you’ve never done this before, I don’t want you to jump ahead just yet. Before we talk about choosing your next word, I want you to take a moment and reflect on the year you’re leaving behind.
Reflecting on Your Year: What Did It Actually Feel Like?
If you go back to the beginning of this year or last year, what stands out to you?
Not the achievements. Not the highlight reel. But the feeling.
Was it heavy? Expansive? Chaotic? Grounding? Transitional?
For me, when I look back at 2025, one word rises to the surface immediately: shedding.
And what’s so interesting is that 2025 was the year of the snake—a symbol of transformation, release, and renewal.
At the beginning of the year, I didn’t fully understand what that meant. I didn’t consciously decide, “This is going to be a year of letting go.”
But as the months unfolded, it became undeniable.
It was a year that pulled me inward. A year that asked me to slow down, to get quiet, and to really look at what I was carrying, both physically and emotionally, and then begin to let go.
The Moving Process That Became a Mirror
One of the most defining experiences of this year was moving out of a home I had lived in for 17 years. Seventeen years of life. Three kids growing up. Countless memories layered into every room.
And with that came accumulation. Not just of objects, but of identity.
Before we even started packing, I ordered a dumpster. And I remember standing there, holding things in my hands, feeling this unexpected resistance to letting them go.
There were items tied to moments I didn’t want to forget. Little reminders of who my children once were. Pieces of a life that had shaped me.
And I had to sit with a question that felt much bigger than the object itself:
Do I need this to remember?
And slowly, I realized that I didn’t. The memory wasn’t in the object, it was in me.
External Clutter and Internal Chaos
As I began to clear things out, something deeper started to reveal itself.
It wasn’t just that I had accumulated a lot of stuff. It was that I had normalized a level of chaos in my environment that was secretly affecting my energy.
There were piles of things I thought I might need someday. Furniture that no longer reflected who I was. Items I kept out of familiarity, not intention.And what surprised me the most was realizing that this external clutter was mirroring something internal. I had been carrying more than I needed to mentally, emotionally, energetically… And I hadn’t questioned it.
Letting Go With Intention (Not Judgment)
Letting go didn’t happen all at once. It wasn’t one big purge where everything suddenly felt clear and complete, it was layered.
I filled one dumpster before the move. Then I packed things I thought I wanted. Then I unpacked and realized I didn’t actually need them.
Even now, there are still boxes I’m working through, still decisions I’m making.
But the difference now is that the process feels intentional.
I’m no longer asking, “Should I keep this?” out of guilt or fear.
I’m asking, “Does this belong in my next chapter?”
And that shift—from holding on to honoring where I’m going—has changed everything.
From the Year of the Snake to the Year of the Horse
As we transition from the year of the snake into the year of the horse, there’s a natural shift in energy.
The snake asks for introspection. It invites you to go inward, to release, to shed.
But the horse? The horse is about movement. It’s about momentum, expansion, and expression. And I can feel that shift so clearly right now.
Because after a year of letting go, of creating space, of sitting with myself in a way I never have before… I feel ready. Not rushed or pressured, but ready.
My Word of the Year Journey (2022–2025)
This practice has evolved with me over the years.
In 2022, my word of the year was boundaries. I was learning how to protect my energy, how to stop saying yes to everything, and how to become more intentional about where I was investing my time.
In 2023, my word was joy. And if I’m honest, I think I approached it from a place of trying to force joy instead of allowing it. It was, unfortunately, a total flop.
So in 2024, I brought that word back, but in a softer way. I stopped chasing it and started noticing it.
Then in 2025, my word became pleasure.
And that word shifted something profound for me. It invited me to slow down, to be present, and to actually feel my life instead of moving through it on autopilot.
My Word of the Year for 2026: Freedom
After everything I’ve released this year, the word that feels most aligned for what’s next is freedom.
- Freedom from the hustle.
- Freedom from outdated expectations.
- Freedom from patterns that were never truly mine.
- Freedom from the chaos I had unconsciously normalized.
And just as importantly:
- Freedom to create.
- Freedom to rest.
- Freedom to choose differently.
- Freedom to live in alignment with who I’ve become.
What I’ve come to understand is that freedom isn’t something you arrive at, it’s something you create space for.
And this year… I am making that space.
How to Choose Your Word of the Year
If you’re feeling called to choose your own word of the year, I want you to approach it with curiosity and kindness.
This is not about picking the “perfect” word. It’s about listening.
Create a moment for yourself. Sit in stillness. Light a candle. Journal if that feels good.
And ask yourself:
- What did this year teach me?
- What am I ready to release?
- How do I want to feel moving forward?
And then let the word come to you. When it’s the right word… you’ll feel it.
Watch the Full Episode:
Show Notes with Timestamps
00:00 — What is a word of the year and why it matters
02:00 — Reflecting on how your year actually felt
03:30 — 2025 as a year of shedding and transformation
05:00 — Moving homes and releasing physical clutter
07:30 — External chaos vs. internal alignment
10:00 — Letting go with intention
12:00 — Past words: boundaries, joy, and pleasure
14:00 — The shift from snake energy to horse energy
15:30 — Choosing “freedom” for 2026
17:00 — How to create your own word of the year
Let’s Keep the Conversation Going
I would love to hear from you.
What is your word of the year?
What are you stepping into?
What are you ready to release?
Send me a DM on Instagram @drsoniachopra or share this episode with someone who might need this moment of reflection.
Because sometimes the most powerful transformation doesn’t come from doing more.
It comes from choosing differently.
University of Why
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