The Power of Choosing Your Word of the Year

Theresa Cesare and Lacey Grijalva explore the transformative power of choosing a word of the year, reflecting on personal journeys, and the importance of self-healing. Lacey shares her experiences of loss and resilience, emphasizing the significance of choosing happiness and living authentically. The discussion also delves into the role of affirmations in manifesting desires and the joy of laughter in everyday life. Together, they inspire listeners to embrace their journeys and prioritize self-care.

Takeaways

• Lacey emphasizes the importance of choosing happiness every day.
• Life is a choice, and we have the power to shape it.
• Choosing a word of the year can provide focus and intention.
• Life's challenges often come with lessons and reasons behind them.
• Self-healing is a journey that requires readiness and commitment.
• Affirmations are powerful tools for manifesting desires.
• Laughter is essential for healing and enjoying life.
• Finding joy in small moments can lead to a happier life.

Transcript

Theresa Cesare: 0:06

Hey guys. Welcome to Heart to Talk the podcast. I am the host and creator Theresa Cesare My intention for this podcast is to deliver to you wisdom, inspiration, and consciousness. Through solo episodes and conversations amongst insightful people. It is my greatest honor to bring to you talks that come from the.

Theresa: 0:32

Hey, loves. Today's episode is about one of my favorite sacred traditions that is choosing a word of the year. We're opening this year not with pressure, performance, or limits, but authenticity, heart-centered intention, and infinite possibilities. Positivity and abundance for our lives. Every year I, along with some of my main girls, choose a word of the year, reflect on what life has taught us and anchor into who we are becoming. And this year I get to bring back my girl, Lacey, to do it with you in real time. Lacey and I have been doing life together for over 18 years. She's a powerful leader, writer, speaker, mother, and her voice and story is such a gift to this community and world. In this conversation, we're gonna revisit the words we chose last year, Talk about how they quietly shaped our decisions, what stretched us, and what we're ready to step into in the next year. Then we'll share our new word, the heart-centered Word of the Year, that will guide our prayers, our boundaries, our vision boards, and the way we show up in 2026. Welcome back to the podcast. So happy to have you.

lacey: 1:43

I'm so excited to be back. I feel like I'm home. Just kidding.

Theresa: 1:47

Welcome back home, honey. We have this word of the year practice that has been so powerful in living intentionally attracting what we want, becoming who we want, and all of that. Before we dive into our words from last year, our words for this year and just reflections of our year, could you share with this audience who hasn't listened to you on the podcast before, a quick who you are. A quick little story of Lacey,

lacey: 2:16

who I'm once upon a time, just say,

Theresa: 2:18

once upon a time there was a girl,

lacey: 2:20

And if it landed by far away.

Speaker 3: 2:22

My story's pretty simple. I grew up in Tucson. Born and raised here, fell in love at an early age with, somebody who we basically grew up together, had three kids together. And, he had his challenges. He was born an addict. Died an addict. And so unfortunately his life ended a lot earlier than what we both had wanted. And left me with three kids to figure out the rest of my life. And that was probably the most altering. A life changing event where I think we all have those moments, whether it's like a death or something that happens in our life where you have to stop and really just evaluate yourself in life and where you're at and what it is and how you wanna move forward. And so that was like a point in my life where I just really had to stop and look at myself and ask questions, like really hard questions and make changes. And then, I started this whole journey of living in my freedom and what did that mean, and what did that look like? And really how I could help other people in a sense of just not, being judgmental, and really looking at people as humans and. That we all go through life and face different barriers, but there's also hope on the other side, and it doesn't matter where you're coming from or what your background and so I get to do that in my personal life and even in my job. Where I, we get to help other people and we don't judge people. We don't look at people for where they come from. We are there as service and really want everybody to succeed on whatever level their journey is in life. And so. It is been a really fun and interesting journey and, it really has taught me that I have a choice. I think sometimes we all are like, we're dealt with these cards in life and we're like, well, it's over, whatever, but life is a choice. And for me, it's a choice to be happy. You have a choice to either be sad or you can move on and be happy. And for me, I choose happiness every day and. I'm just like so excited to live and be here and wake up every day with my babies, and just look at the gratitudes in life and the things to be happy about rather than. What's gone wrong?'cause it's so easy to look at what's gone wrong and just live in my own personal freedom and try to help others as well.

Theresa: 4:50

I love that and it's been so powerful to watch you in all those seasons. I think it was two years ago, we did a award of the year episode with Annette and then here we are. Doing another word of the year, and I feel like I wanna make this like our tradition where we can share real life what's happening, how we overcome it. And that being said, we choose a word every year that anchors us, and it does so much more than just being a word, I believe that words have a frequency, basically like casting spells, and so Lacey, what was your word last year the last year.

lacey: 5:21

Love, the first time it was freedom. And then I had picked. I healing was one and then last year was love.'cause I remember I didn't wanna do anything if I, if it wasn't through love, whether it was in my personal life at work, I just wanted to put love into everything I did. And I felt like if I did that it would have a meaning and a purpose and it would come from a good place.'cause sometimes you think we just do things to do'em. But if I did it because I loved it and I wanted to, and it came from me, then it, it had a meaning and a purpose and it would just feel good. And so I think for the most part, I did follow that. Um, there were moments where maybe I didn't and, but it held me accountable to ask myself, is this because I love it and I want to do this with love? Or am I just doing it?

Theresa: 6:10

I love it. So thank you for the journey of your words and how do you pick your word? How's your process? Like

lacey: 6:17

For whatever reason, my word didn't come until yesterday. It was really weird. I had like a list of words. One of my words was rekindle. Because I wanted to reconnect with different things and, but I was like, but that it didn't feel right. And so it's, it's, for me, it's just a process of making a list and then writing why, like why would I pick that word? What would associate with that word? Could I live to that word throughout the year? Would I wanna change it? And so it takes me a minute. I don't always, know my word right away. I think it always could because like I'm always last minute, so I think last minute. Lazy. Lazy. So it takes me a minute. But I also always want to do things like authentic. And I don't wanna just pick a word because I need to pick a word and it's the new year and I feel like I gotta pick a word. I won't settle on a word till I know that it's something that's going to fill and that I can hold myself accountable throughout the year.

Theresa: 7:19

I love that. It's like what makes your whole body be like, and for me, I always like picking word of the opposite energy that I'm in. Mine was all in last year, I had a mantra remember?'cause I felt like I wasn't all in on just all in on being available to receive love all into my business and go figure it takes a whole year. I claim that all in energy. I attracted, love my relationships with my kiddos for like next level, like so deepened and then I'm all in on my business.

Speaker 4: 7:47

Yes, totally. In 2026.

Theresa: 7:49

And so it's powerful'cause the word can literally be like your filter and really guide you subconsciously. And you don't wanna like pick something'cause you feel like you have to, like, even if it takes you till February or maybe you try on a word, I remember I was telling you, I was like, girl, okay, my word is courage. I was like, my word is courage. And then I was like, no. And then the next week I was like, it's actually not courage, it's emerge I'm emerging. And then I would pick different words and tell like you just know. When you don't even second guess it. When it's not your word that love for it or the vibration that it sends your body immediately goes away.

lacey: 8:26

Okay. My word of the year is me like I know if I don't choose me in the morning to go work out and I choose because I just want, my kids don't want me to go work out. I'm gonna feel icky later on'cause I didn't do that. And so I'm gonna be grumpy. I'm gonna go to work and not be the full version of me as if I had woken up and gone. And so I just have to do things for me unselfishly so that I can be the better version for my kids, for work, for my friends, you know, as a daughter. And so this year, everything I do, I'm gonna ask myself, is this something. I wanna do. And if I don't want to, I'm not gonna do it.

Theresa: 9:11

We're so used to making a decision or choice to not disappoint or to prevent. Someone being mad, so we naturally bend over backwards, sacrifice what we really want. And I think that's who we are. We're so go with the flow accommodating. But at what point do you over accommodate to where you don't even. Have your preferences and that's powerful to have preferences into what you want.'cause really, like you said, when you do what you want you're gonna be the happiest version and you're gonna fill in alignment.

Speaker 3: 9:39

Or even like simple things like going to eat. Like sometimes if I'm with my boyfriend, he'll be like, where do you wanna go eat? I don't know. Like whatever you want. But maybe there's something I really wanna do, but I know like maybe he wants to eat healthy and he doesn't want that. So I'll just like, okay. But now if I want pizza and he doesn't want pizza, I'm gonna say I want pizza. You know what I mean? And it's not like that he would ever be like, no, but it's just that I'm gonna choose things that make me happy. And if I have to compromise and say, well, let's go somewhere so you can have a salad and I can have pizza, then that's what I'm gonna do, I think for a lot of people, sometimes we feel selfish or sometimes we feel like. I gotta do it for my kids, or I gotta say yes because I wanna make them happy. But, ultimately what happens is you start internalizing these things and you hold it. And then later on, it comes out different ways. And so for me. I think that I do a lot of compromising to avoid just certain situations. And so instead of doing that, I'm gonna ask myself, is this for the benefit of me? And is it going to later come out in a different way, or am I gonna be angry and take it out on my kids and a and like be in a bad mood all day because I didn't make a choice for me earlier. So. Yeah, so like I was just thinking and I'm like, you know what? No, like this year is me. And, and it doesn't just benefit me. It benefits everybody because if I'm happy and healthy, I'm gonna be a better friend, a better mother, a better girlfriend, a better daughter, a and I just I'm like, wow. Like I don't even know why I've never thought of that word, because I could choose happiness. But what does happiness mean? If I choose me, happiness is incorporated in there. Um, I think one of the words I had was align, but I mean, if I choose me, I'm gonna align everything else. And so I think one of the biggest thing was like for me, like I've made peace with a lot of things, but now I just wanna heal a lot of things. And so that's choosing me. Oh

Theresa: 11:50

my God. God, what about you? What's your

Speaker 4: 11:52

word?

Theresa: 11:53

I usually pick a word'cause it's the opposite of what I've been embodying so I have really had felt limited in so many ways, like limited in being able to date being after divorce, limited in time to be a creator and do the work that I do with my business. Limited. And honestly, money's big. The scarcity thing, like I lived in a season where it was like such a, a rebuilding and so the traumatic nights of oh my God, how am I gonna make it? So then when I started to do really well, I almost still lived in that,, not enough scarcity, limited, I can't go to that, I can't do that. So I almost like lived in that. Limited story of like limits of traveling, limits of what I can do, where I can be like in all areas, from big things to little things. So I was like, no, nothing's gonna limitless my, time, my location, what I can create limitless income coming in. So I'm in the energy of limitless I'm not gonna put a limit on myself anymore, and I already feel the shift. It's, it's shifting me already.

lacey: 12:56

If there's anybody that's gonna do it, it's you. I've seen it. I've seen it.

Theresa: 13:02

I mean, Lacey has been a witness of my powerful manifesting, let's just say

lacey: 13:06

limitless for sure. I love that.

Speaker 3: 13:09

Well, because I always know. I always know that no matter what, if anybody's gonna do you do it. And I think you do it because you believe it. And I think that's where a lot of people suffer and following whatever path they wanna go. Because they truly don't believe they can get there yet. But you have to believe at first before you can convince anybody else.

Theresa: 13:29

Yeah. And you're right. You're right. And so

Speaker 3: 13:30

you've always believed that you're gonna be okay. Even in moments where you're scared or you know there's things that need to get done in your soul. You believe the outcome is gonna be what you need it to be. And if you don't follow what you wanna do, you're not choosing you. And then you always sit with it and, and so I know if anybody's gonna do it, girl, I've seen it, you forget and you pull mountains out of water. Like, I don't know how you do it, but you do it and it's amazing. And so like, I just, I think your word limitless is truly. Something that embodies you, especially this year.

Theresa: 14:10

Yeah, it's the limitless year and it's really taking that word. And placing it into the spaces and places that I wanna expand. So what would you say is the biggest win wins of the year? What was your win? I think

Speaker 3: 14:25

my win is, I have, not let anything take me down. I can see that there is a reason for everything. So through every. And I don't wanna say obstacle, through every lesson this year that's happened, I've learned there is a reason, and I might not ever know that reason, but there's a reason for everything and there's a lesson in that. And I just need to take it and know that my path is gonna be fine. Like I'm gonna work out. And there might be some tears, there might be some heartache, there might be some like frustration. But if I can always see that. There is a reason and there is, there is something better coming, then I know I'm gonna be okay. And that's been my biggest, win this year, is that knowing through every single thing I have, not let anything take me down. Like there's just nothing that's going to impact me in a way that

Theresa: 15:26

I just am gonna fall. I love that. I've seen it, I've witnessed it, and it's so powerful to see like you just rise.. You rise,

Speaker 3: 15:35

and that's the thing I think like we all like stuff is gonna happen. Like things are gonna happen either really small or really big, like life changing and so. You have to handle it and you have to be able to move on past it. And I, for me, that's like my biggest thing I wanna teach my kids is that little things are gonna happen and life changing things are gonna happen, but you can't sit there in that moment for too long. You have to get up and keep going. And so I've seen my kids and that's also been a win, like when things happen. Yes, it's a moment to be sad, but then you have to find a reason to get up and keep going.

Theresa: 16:16

It just shows your kids' resilience and triumphs has just been a reflection. Of you. So That's incredible, girl. Okay, so before we pivot to the closing questions, do you have any like exciting announcements, anything you wanna share with this audience that's really on a journey too, on their own transformation,

Speaker 3: 16:35

I think, with the new year coming, everybody wants to set these goals for themselves. And then if you don't reach that goal. Then you're upset and then you feel like a failure. But I think that we need to give ourselves some peace and grace. And if you're in a space of like self-healing and you're trying to grasp onto something or find that quick fix, there's no quick fix in life. I think it's a process and you need to find what works for you. And so listening to this podcast, your affirmations, whatever somebody can do, but to understand that, there's nothing that's gonna help you in an immediate, sense, life. It's a journey. And I just, my wish for people in general is choose happiness. Choose to look at things in a positive way and not. S like self-soothe through all of those tragic things that have taken you to the place where you're at. And I just like feel like people need to be open and ready and do the work so that they can get to a place where they're happy and they can enjoy life and live in their freedom. And I listen, if I've ever seen anybody use affirmations to heal their soul, you are the perfect example to teach people to get there. And I just hope that people take that journey serious and know that their steps and that it's not gonna take one day. And then, you know, it's rainbows and unicorns.

Theresa: 18:07

I love that. It's true. You have to commit to it and it's a practice and it's a conscious choice to whether it's five minutes to sit and just think I wake, I'm waking up feeling this way, but I'm gonna choose to be this way. And that's why I love affirmations.'cause then I can use words to help me shift. Or maybe it's going for a walk or maybe it's writing, or it's listening to high vibe music or listening to someone else, whatever it is that's gonna get you there, is just powerful. And it changes everything. Like it's what you do today is really going towards your future self. I'm gonna pivot now for Okay. The ending question. So what is your favorite affirmation?

Speaker 3: 18:48

Okay so my, uh, favorite affirmation is, I am a powerful manifester and author of my own reality. So I just believe if I want something, I can say it, but in that I also have to. Do it. Like I can say, I am open to love, but then if I don't accept it when it comes or give it a chance, then I'm not acting on it. And so if there's something I want, if I want to, take our the department to the next level. I can say it. But then I'm also the author to act on it. Like I have to do the actions to get there and those steps I'm manifesting to get me there. So I think part of affirmations is saying it and believing it, but also acting on those words that you're putting out there. And so, yeah, I think that like if I am. Truly in it and saying it and putting it out there, and every day like, I believe this or writing it down, saying it out loud. It's gonna come to me and then I can act on it and see it more. And I think sometimes when you're constantly saying those affirmations or believing, you see it more like you, you see, oh my gosh, this is what I asked for, this is what I've been saying, and it's right here. Um, sometimes if you just say it and you're not really connected with it, it may come to you, but it might pass you because you weren't there

Theresa: 20:20

yet. Yeah, I love it like knowing how to manifest something but hold it. And the last question. What makes you laugh?

Speaker 3: 20:30

Once somebody knows me and like if we're having a serious conversation or in a serious setting and I start laughing, it's a nervous laugh. It's not because I'm trying to be inconsiderate or disrespectful, but I have this nervous laugh I cannot control. And so I think people close to me know that now. And so they still with it. My friends make me laugh, like there's moments in life that I take serious, but I don't take life so serious. I wanna laugh through it and be happy. And so I could sit here and laugh at like the pencil falling and find something funny about it. My kids make me laugh. Um, funny movies make me laugh. I just think that life in general is fun and there's moments where, where you can find laughter in it. And for me that's healing. And so I think that's why I laugh a lot'cause I enjoy life and I think life should be fun. And laughing, just makes everything better.

Theresa Cesare: 21:26

Thank you so much for tuning into this episode. Please download, rate, subscribe, and share this podcast. Also, be sure to visit my theresacesare.com to check out my inspirational merch, connect to my social accounts, and much more may you continue to be filled with wisdom, inspiration, and consciousness. Otherwise, friends, I will be back for another episode of Heart to.