Ep 140: Word of the Year - finding a mantra

There’s lots of ways to start off the new year - setting goals or resolutions, being intentional about tasks, starting new habits, etc.  In this episode, we chat about an exercise that Dr. Shannon has been doing for several years now - picking a word of the year.  It can be a word, a mantra, a phrase, but something that you can meditate on, pray about, and reflect on throughout the year.  And as you pick this word, it can help you focus, stay grounded, and remember your vision, dreams, and aspirations for the year.  Sounds kind of like a birth affirmation too, right?  Check out Dr. Shannon’s blog about her journey with picking a word of the year.  And doula Rachael jumps in on the fun of picking a word, so be sure to listen to the whole episode.  

Resources mentioned in the episode:

#130 - birth affirmations and journal prompts

#85 - Visualization for Birth and Life

Transcript

Dr. Shannon (00:02.352)
Hello friends, you are listening to the Aligned Birth Podcast. You have both hosts here today. I'm Dr. Shannon, Dula Rachel here as well. And I usually start off saying something like today's birthy topic. And I don't know that it's a birthy topic, but we're going to turn it into a birthy topic because this is what we do. But we're going to talk a little bit about maybe setting yourself up for success.

at the start of a new year. I mean, we're recording this at the beginning of 2024 and sharing a little bit of what I've done for the past few years. And so something called where I pick a word of the year. So that's kind of what this episode is about, but tying into not only the word of the year, but maybe there's some like birth affirmations, words for birth, mantras for birth, things like that. And it kind of gives you

I don't know, when the going gets tough, you can come back to that word, come back to that thought, come back to that statement, whatever it is, that mantra, you can kind of come back to that to maybe help like recenter and ground again and remind you of your why. So maybe that's a little bit of what word of the year means to me. So that's what we're going to talk about this year. I've done this exercise for a pretty good amount of time. And so we'll kind of dive into what I have.

noticed over the years with doing this little exercise and yeah, we'll kind of go from there. So I'm excited to chat today with you, Dula Rachel.

Rachael Hutchins (01:38.514)
Hi, Dr. Shannon. Thank you so much for that intro. I love this practice that you do and that you have been so committed to doing it and the benefit that it brings and that you carry it through your whole year kind of finding where that word has worked and stood out or brought other change or you know I like how you just are so reflective and you're so intentional and I think that is the goal and I think that's what we want to impart is like being intentional. So starting the year

with intentionality and then if you're pregnant, kind of using that as a new season and maybe considering setting an intention or a word for yourself to get through the next big, big season of giving birth.

Dr. Shannon (02:23.341)
Mm-hmm. And I guess you always talk about, you know, like being the bamboo, being like firm but flexible. And that's kind of what it is with this word too. Like you don't have to do it at the beginning of the year. You can do it at the beginning of your pregnancy. You don't have to. The word can change. The word can mean something different. You can pick the word and not like it, but do something different. Like there's lots of, there's lots of things with it, but just, I guess, being like a little bit flexible with it.

to at least what I have looked at. I will say in the past, in the recent past, last year the word that I picked stuck with me, I would say more so than any of the other words that I have chosen. And I do a vision board exercise usually at the beginning of every year too. I've done that for quite a while now. And last year I had that word all over my vision board.

all over the vision board. So I don't know if that helped. And then I had the board up to where I could actually like see it daily. And I don't know if that helped with the word a little bit or I don't know. It was interesting because I feel like that's the first time I'd actually put the word on there. Now I may have had, you know, pictures to represent the word, but yeah, I don't know. It was kind of interesting. I think it's really neat when you go back and look at it. Okay. So...

Rachael Hutchins (03:46.05)
So will you tell us what that word is and what it means to you?

Dr. Shannon (03:51.416)
This word, okay, so here's what we're doing for this year. The word for this year is gonna be bold. I tend to go and, I mean, sometimes it'll come to me a little bit like towards the end of the year of what I'm thinking for next year. And that's when it comes, I don't know.

I don't know how it comes, but I just, I kind of put it out there. I would really like some sort of word or some sort of focus. Then the word kind of morphs into a little bit of a statement and how I want to apply it. I've looked at how I want to apply it in kind of all aspects of my life, at least with this word. I don't know if this is the same. Maybe a little bit with last year too, but so bold. The big thing is I really do want to be kind of bold in my faith as far as stepping out.

and being, I don't know, I feel like most people would probably think, oh yeah, you do step out in faith and taking those risks and that sort of thing. But internally it can feel different. So I do want to be bold in my faith, but I want that boldness in that faith to go into my business and my marriage and my parenting and my motherhood and me and my friendships. It's kind of going into all of those areas. And not...

necessarily because then I went through and I wrote down all of like the synonyms of the word too because sometimes I'll do that and be like okay well is there something else that speaks to me and I didn't want it I don't want bold as far as like arrogant you know like in your face like when I picked it that's what it was kind of like and I was like no like it's like a subtle bold it's like bold to me not bold ah in your face type of thing so bold my words action so yeah that's

Rachael Hutchins (05:35.086)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Shannon (05:43.48)
That's the word for this year.

Rachael Hutchins (05:46.794)
Were there any of the synonyms of bold that stood out to you?

Dr. Shannon (05:52.224)
Um, courageous was one and I feel like vibrant was the other. So when I and I told, so I told my oldest about my word and he really liked it. I think he said, I think he picked a word. I think he wanted to do strength this year. And so kind of going through exercises as far as like what, what does that mean to him? You know, and those type of things. Yeah. And so.

Rachael Hutchins (05:59.969)
Yeah.

Rachael Hutchins (06:15.666)
Yeah, because it can mean so many things.

Dr. Shannon (06:20.616)
When I was telling him about bold, it was nice to kind of go through and describe it, but I told him bold and then I went and I bought a new planner and you know, picking the color of your planner is like, I don't know. It's like a big deal, right? The one I used to get in the past was always white, you know, so I didn't have to like think about it, but I was like, I did something different this year. And I pulled it out of the bag and I showed Ethan and I was like, he goes, that's bold, the color and it's bright red. Like.

Rachael Hutchins (06:28.203)
Mm.

Rachael Hutchins (06:32.833)
Yeah.

Rachael Hutchins (06:49.844)
Oh, that's awesome.

Dr. Shannon (06:49.981)
And I was like, so it was neat for him to have that little, you know, that connection there. I was like, it is bold.

Rachael Hutchins (06:54.134)
You're seeing it and then when you share it with your family and your people, like they can identify that too and it kind of is encouraging of like, okay, this is a little thing I'm doing that's bold and all of those little things add up to bigger things over the course of time. And I hear bold and I don't hear arrogant. I hear sort of like fearless, like maybe getting outside of comfort zone. Like you've...

Dr. Shannon (07:02.127)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Shannon (07:08.11)
Mm-hmm

Dr. Shannon (07:12.901)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Shannon (07:19.583)
Mm-hmm.

Rachael Hutchins (07:19.918)
come so far and you're so accomplished. And I'm sure there's always, you wanna keep going and growing and putting yourself in new places or circumstances or whatever. And you need boldness to do that or otherwise we kind of stay in the same place. Like in order to kind of step, keep taking big steps forward, faith, family, work, like you gotta be bold. And I think that's a wonderful word for you because I think it's not typical. Like it's not.

Dr. Shannon (07:34.084)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Shannon (07:41.493)
It's gotta be bold.

Rachael Hutchins (07:49.01)
I think it's probably a way you want to be seen in some areas, but it's not like your persona. Like.

Dr. Shannon (07:55.688)
That's why the word is scary to me because I tried to minimize or I don't know. I want to be very particular with my words and careful, but I don't know. Yeah.

Rachael Hutchins (07:58.287)
Yes.

Rachael Hutchins (08:05.142)
But I think you should be bold. More people need to hear what you had to say. And more people need to hear what you have to offer. More people need to hear your perspective. And it takes an element of boldness to do that and not worrying. Kind of got to let some of the whatever, um, projections the world has put on you or you think like that you need to minimize or be small or fit into a certain thing or people please, or not rock the boat. You guys, you have to let some of that go in order to truly be bold.

Dr. Shannon (08:15.733)
Yeah.

Dr. Shannon (08:24.894)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Shannon (08:28.768)
Mm-hmm.

Rachael Hutchins (08:34.738)
and be authentic. I love it. I love that for you.

Dr. Shannon (08:35.092)
Mm-hmm. So yeah, that's my word. It feels really good. It feels very scary. And there was one other word in my... So, okay, backtrack. This is kind of fun. I used to blog at the office. And I love being in a position of having the website and, I don't know, having a space to share words.

And I did it very consistently for the first few years I was open. And then April 2021 was the last blog that I wrote. And so here we are January 2024. And I did just like finally put out my most recent blog. And so this most recent blog I have is Word of the Year. And so that's what kind of what led to this conversation here. And so what I did was I kind of just outlined.

I started it in 2018 and I went through and I have this little like write a piece of paper that's in my Bible. Because otherwise, if I don't, I don't know, I have papers everywhere, you know? And it's kind of like, I wanted to have something that had all the words of the year and just little jots of like, okay, how did that year go? What did, how did that word end up applying? Not just what I wanted it to be, but what did it end up being? And so that's what I shared a little bit in the blog that I wrote. So that's kind of where we're going here. So that's my intentions with this word.

Rachael Hutchins (09:42.055)
Mm.

Rachael Hutchins (09:45.228)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Shannon (09:57.672)
The last time I had, I feel like I had a big word. I didn't realize it was big, but whenever I would mention it to people, they were like, oh, that's a big word. So 2018, I had the word growth. And that was the word that I wanted. And that ended up being a very, very interesting year. I know what I had intended the word to mean, because I had graduated chiropractic school in 2017.

Rachael Hutchins (10:10.917)
Mm-hmm.

Rachael Hutchins (10:19.932)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Shannon (10:23.72)
So it would make sense 2018. It's like, okay, growth, growth into who I am as chiropractor and yada, yada. Well, that was the year I did decide to step out on my own when and open my own office, which that was the scariest thing, well, not the scariest thing ever. And then as soon as I did that, a few months later, we were in this horrible car accident. And then I was trying to open an office and recover from that and manage everything.

Rachael Hutchins (10:27.728)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Shannon (10:52.564)
I switched in the middle of the year that word and went from growth to surrender as in like, it was kind of one of those like, Jesus take the wheel type of things for me. So I was like, oh, I don't know what's happening right here. I was like, I said growth. This is not what I had in mind. This is not okay. So I'm gonna surrender then. I know. So that was, mm-hmm. So I changed the word, but I didn't change the word. You know what I mean? Mm-hmm.

Rachael Hutchins (11:06.018)
Gosh, there's so many perceptions of growth though. Growth, like you can't tell me growth did not happen because of what, yeah, cause it just takes on different meaning and different phases. Like, and to have true growth, something has to be, has to die or has to fully surrender. Like it's not just always grow, grow. Like with growth comes something else. And that is your sort of your, the other side of the coin for you. And, and

Dr. Shannon (11:25.23)
Mm-hmm. Right.

Dr. Shannon (11:34.696)
Mm-hmm. It was crazy, but that's why I love this little piece of paper that I have, because it gives me that perspective. Yeah, like it gives me that perspective of like, oh yeah, that was this year. And then it can be like, okay, there was this that was going on. But I absolutely love Analyte, like I love to read. And one of my favorite books was The Scarlet Letter. And I remember

Rachael Hutchins (11:35.75)
major, major life stuff.

Rachael Hutchins (11:41.422)
That memory like storing that. Yeah. Yeah

Dr. Shannon (12:02.)
all of the symbolism in that book. Like that's what I think I really, really love was the daughter named Pearl and the red letter and Scott, like all of these symbolism aspects in that book. And I think I've taken that and I do that with my like, looking at the word from last year and like seeing the symbolic moments of it. I don't know, I enjoy that. Not everybody else is gonna enjoy that, but yeah, I think it's fun.

Rachael Hutchins (12:04.035)
Mm-hmm.

Rachael Hutchins (12:09.888)
Mm.

Rachael Hutchins (12:20.455)
Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Rachael Hutchins (12:27.678)
And not everyone else has to though. It's a practice that you enjoy that has great purpose for you. And I love it. I think it's so cool. And now that you've did the blog with all of the words since you started this now each year. You can revisit this blog and then you'd have that you journal kind of permanent journal situation and then you can kind of keep adding to it and then you'll be able to reflect back on it. So I think it's super cool.

Dr. Shannon (12:33.523)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Shannon (12:42.44)
Mm-hmm. Just go add to it. Mm-hmm.

Dr. Shannon (12:54.468)
Yeah, I know. I'm glad I put this out here because... So 2019, the word was kumbhaka. I can't remember where I heard this, but it's a yoga word, I believe, and it's the pause between inhale and exhale. It might've been from my friend, Jen Horenberg. She came to my vision board event. I had several back that year. She and her husband own...

Rachael Hutchins (13:12.214)
Hmm

Dr. Shannon (13:24.692)
They're acupuncturists. And so they own an office near me. And it's the pause between like inhale and exhale where you can choose how you respond to a situation. So that makes sense that was my word because the year before was like a shit show and I was like, ah! So I had, you know, I did, I could control how I could respond to situations of the only thing I could control. So that one was really fun. 2020. Ah!

Rachael Hutchins (13:26.16)
Mm.

Rachael Hutchins (13:44.023)
Mm-hmm.

Rachael Hutchins (13:53.637)
Mmm. Don't know if anyone can say that year without having feelings. Ha ha ha.

Dr. Shannon (13:54.076)
I actually had this... I don't... You know, when I first wrote this, I had my words switched. I thought 2020, I had one word and 2021, I had the other. But I actually, when I went back and checked my little piece of paper, thank goodness I can fact check myself, I was like, oh, I had that completely wrong. And I was like, oh my gosh, my word was alignment. And I had all of these like... You have to read the blog. Because I actually...

wrote a blog called 2020 vision reflecting on a decade. And so I wrote this in the beginning of the year. Yeah, before the what was 2020. And it was fascinating to go back and look at like, what my intentions were at the word and how that played out, what I was thinking it would mean and then what it ended up being, you know? I feel like that year was a year of alignment for a lot of people as far as like you had to

know, pick and choose and what aligned with you and I don't, I don't know. That was, it was interesting, to say the least.

Rachael Hutchins (15:01.626)
Yeah, yeah. Well, I love the word alignment. And I think 2020 brought many lessons for many people and even like in the moment lessons and then now we have a lot of hindsight lessons. I think a lot of people have feelings and opinions about that time different than they did in the moment, right? It was a you couldn't pay me enough money to go back to that time. Like it was so stressful.

Dr. Shannon (15:05.468)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Shannon (15:15.835)
Uh-huh.

Dr. Shannon (15:26.739)
Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Rachael Hutchins (15:30.622)
It was so stressful, but still sort of reflecting on that word and how it took on a whole new meaning in that year. That's what I like about it is the adaptability with the word is it can be used in a lot of different ways. I like how you wrote here, alignment to me doesn't mean straight and rigid.

Dr. Shannon (15:41.176)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Shannon (15:50.492)
Mm-hmm.

Rachael Hutchins (15:56.374)
the curves of the spine help the brain and body communicate efficiently and the curves of our lives help us to become who we are meant to be. So it's like not alignment like we have to be perfect, it's alignment just with where you are and something I've learned from you through the years is your and maybe since about 2019 or 20 is your intentionality around your life commitments like really trying to choose things that align with you and your family and your overall

Dr. Shannon (15:56.603)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Shannon (16:07.648)
Uh-uh.

Rachael Hutchins (16:25.966)
goals and that keep your mental space happy and healthy. I think there was somewhere in this time that I feel like it was like a, like the example was like the PTA commitments or room mom commitments. And they were just like frying you out and you were like, I'm saying no. And that's okay. Cause it's more in alignment with my like being, and I'm going to serve in other ways to other people and be better for my family. We don't have to say yes to everything. And now you're always in the back of my mind when I'm navigating.

Dr. Shannon (16:37.889)
Uh huh.

Dr. Shannon (16:41.711)
Mm-hmm.

Rachael Hutchins (16:54.87)
those obligations in my life and sometimes wishing I was better. Like.

Dr. Shannon (16:57.008)
like, do you want to do this? Check yes or no? Does this make you happy? Yeah. I'll just whisper in your ear. I know.

Rachael Hutchins (17:06.718)
And that's so hard. I struggle with the, does it make me happy because I feel like there's so many things in my current season that are more obligatory. And I'm not mad about the, that like it's a season and I want to participate because I worry that if I look back, I might have regrets because I only get this chance once, but I still feel like there's room for intentionality and that you still don't have to say yes to everything. Like I can still do those things, but also show up in a meaningful way and do them. Like I'm room mom.

Dr. Shannon (17:13.568)
Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Shannon (17:23.257)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Shannon (17:30.14)
Mm-hmm.

Rachael Hutchins (17:35.01)
but I like don't go crazy on like the room, the gift for the teacher. I did a whole bunch of gift cards and collected funds from parents and then sent it in. And it aligned with me in the way that I can show appreciation and like my means and ability to like put something together for a teacher who deserves a good gift, but I don't have to, like I see what other room moms do and I'm like, wow. And it's more just like,

Dr. Shannon (17:44.468)
kept it simple.

Rachael Hutchins (18:03.494)
outward, like, frou-frou-ist, more grandiose, and so it made me feel a certain way about myself and so that's just one tiny example of like, do I have to do it this way? No, I can still do the thing but do it in a way that is like...

Dr. Shannon (18:06.612)
Grandios.

Dr. Shannon (18:12.808)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Dr. Shannon (18:19.816)
genuine and authentic to you.

Rachael Hutchins (18:21.546)
better for me and leaves me feeling mentally good. So that's something I learned from you. And that's like that alignment and balance that you feel like you're always weaving into your life. Whether you like, you probably don't give yourself enough credit for how good you do that.

Dr. Shannon (18:24.77)
Mm-hmm.

Hmm.

Dr. Shannon (18:32.468)
Yeah.

I don't think I do. I think that was 2018 though, because I started, so we were in a really, really terrible car accident. And after that, I would, I would feel myself get overwhelmed very easily, more quickly than normal, I would think. And that made me stop, like, pushing to perseverance, like pushing to a certain point.

Rachael Hutchins (18:53.491)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Shannon (19:04.016)
and it made me pause a minute. And I do try to always remember that of like the yes and the no. And I think vividly that's what it was. Cause I remember being on a run with a friend and I remember saying that. I just remember being like, I get overwhelmed so much easier now. Which it's a good thing to realize because then I am very much go, you know, push, push. And so...

Rachael Hutchins (19:06.584)
Mm. Mm-hmm.

Rachael Hutchins (19:23.477)
Mmm.

Dr. Shannon (19:34.348)
can only do that for so long. And so I think that's when it really started. But such is life. Okay, so that was 2020 alignment. 2021 is so the first word I had come up with, we were at... So I think this game, I don't know if this came later in the year or when this came.

Rachael Hutchins (19:35.726)
Mm-hmm your awareness of that overwhelm. Mm-hmm

Rachael Hutchins (19:45.74)
Mm-hmm.

Rachael Hutchins (19:49.422)
20 was alignment and then 2021 tell me about this word. I don't remember this one.

Dr. Shannon (20:03.42)
But we went out to eat at a soccer game. It was over, I mean, in Atlanta, not that far, and it was at Moxie Burger. And when you go inside Moxie Burger, they, I think the ones, well, the ones I've seen, it's got the word Moxie there, and it has all of the synonyms under it. And it's very similar to bold, but it's all like, I just was like, I really like that word Moxie. That's like sassy. You're like, not, I had a feeling that was not me. And so that's why I was like, I really.

Rachael Hutchins (20:21.681)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Shannon (20:33.212)
I don't know. Well, with 2020, it was a lot of, I don't know, you felt like you were, well, I felt I was told to do these things and blah, blah. It was all very, I don't know, like authoritarian type thing. And I think that moxie was coming out to be like, hey, tell me what to do. Not in a bad way, but you know what I mean. Like, okay, I have a voice. Tell me.

Rachael Hutchins (20:46.992)
Mm-hmm.

Rachael Hutchins (20:52.783)
It's okay to say that, yeah. You're kind of forced to feel that like that moxie towards the situation. It kind of brought it out in you and not in a negative way, almost in a confident way.

Dr. Shannon (20:59.644)
Yeah, yeah. I was like, okay, yeah. That was part of that confident thing. At least that's what I was trying to. But then I have Finnish roots, so like the country Finland. That's like my dad's side of the family is from there. And so my aunt on my dad's side, she's all.

She loves all of the Finnish culture and Finnish words and she's very like kind of proud of that heritage. And she sent me this mug. I don't know how to pronounce it though. I'm pronouncing it Sisu, it's S-I-S-U. And it's like, it's literally like the Finnish word for like moxie that thing. And I was like, oh, I think I'm gonna switch that a bit and then kind of tap into those roots because I do have this ring that I wear.

Rachael Hutchins (21:44.366)
for Moxie. Hmm. Oh, that's beautiful. Yeah.

Dr. Shannon (21:54.58)
that she had given me from my great grandmother, so whom I never met. And it's, I sometimes wear it, it's like a little confidence piece for me. Sometimes I'll wear that and I'll be like, okay, you had, and I always think of, you've got your ancestors with you who have been through this, like that strong female ancestor, because the ring is bigger, it's a feminine ring, it's a black onyx one. And to me, I'm like, she has strong hands. Like there's just something about it where I,

Rachael Hutchins (22:03.751)
Yeah.

Rachael Hutchins (22:10.996)
Hmm.

Rachael Hutchins (22:20.012)
Hmm

Rachael Hutchins (22:23.438)
Woo.

Dr. Shannon (22:24.348)
like try to, when I need that little, uh, like I embody that. So that's kind of where I was like, I want to use that, the Finnish word in there. I wear it a lot. Let's just be honest.

Rachael Hutchins (22:30.762)
You might need to bring that ring out this year for your bowl, your okay, or just keep wearing it. I love that gave me chills hearing you talk about that.

Dr. Shannon (22:40.988)
I wear that a lot. So, yeah, so that was, that was moxie. That was moxie, that was fun. I do too.

Rachael Hutchins (22:46.514)
I love the word moxie. I was first introduced to the word moxie from, did you ever read Jen Hatmaker's books? One of her first books was called A Mess and Moxie and I loved it. It's like the mess and the moxie put together, motherhood, figuring out life, you know, womanhood, all that stuff and I love that word moxie.

Dr. Shannon (22:53.269)
No, but I know who she is. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Dr. Shannon (23:00.548)
Okay. Yeah. Uh-huh. That sounds about right.

Dr. Shannon (23:11.952)
Yeah, yeah, I like it. So, and I, maybe I'll say this at the end, but if I don't say it now, I'll probably forget. But I try to like keep these words like with me, you know, like all of them. So yeah, you focus on one, but it's kind of like, like if I were to have done this exercise and not have had my children and wanted some sort of like.

Rachael Hutchins (23:24.768)
Mm-hmm. All of them.

Dr. Shannon (23:37.836)
If I wanted birth affirmations on the wall or something, I would pick all of these old words of the year to have surrounding me, to remind me of like, remember the growth, remember the surrender, remember the pause, you know, like all of those little things to remind me of that. So, I mean, they kind of stick with you. Although I'm wondering, I feel like I had the word, or maybe I played around with the word adaptable, adaptability.

Rachael Hutchins (23:45.158)
Mm-hmm.

Rachael Hutchins (24:03.499)
Hmm.

Dr. Shannon (24:03.856)
I don't know that ever became a word. I feel like in 2022 it might've been, but instead I did, because I do have a list of like words and I know you had said adaptable or something at one point. I was like, crap, did I have that word? But not so, 2022 was awareness. And I do think this was a big, kind of a big shift year.

Rachael Hutchins (24:17.277)
Mm.

Rachael Hutchins (24:22.87)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Shannon (24:33.316)
It ended up forming, like morphing into a phrase and it's awareness precedes change. And so it's like, you really have, and this is what I try to tell people in the office though, too, because I'm like, you have to be aware that there's something going on, problem or whatever, good or bad or whatever, there's something going on for you to want to change it. Right, you have to be aware that there is an issue before you can...

Rachael Hutchins (24:40.007)
Mm-hmm.

Rachael Hutchins (24:53.966)
Mm. Mm-hmm.

Rachael Hutchins (25:01.346)
change it. Yeah.

Dr. Shannon (25:01.856)
change it. And so that's kind of where I went with that word. I don't know.

Rachael Hutchins (25:10.096)
I think a lot of people, including myself, want to initiate change in something. I think we're always sort of evaluating on an everyday evolve basis, improve, whatever. But you can't actually get results in what you want unless you're aware of.

Dr. Shannon (25:19.062)
We want to evolve.

Dr. Shannon (25:30.344)
what needs to change.

Rachael Hutchins (25:30.722)
What you're feeling or how it's feeling in your body or how you're showing up in the world or how the thing is existing Whatever it is. I think there has to be awareness. That's that connecting that with the change part I think is kind of the gold there and my mind was kind of going towards pregnancy and birth With the word awareness and that's what you and I do. That's what me and Hannah do like bringing awareness First of like if we just like can seed a thought an idea

Dr. Shannon (25:33.385)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Shannon (25:51.04)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Shannon (25:56.177)
Mm-hmm.

Rachael Hutchins (25:59.542)
fact a something and then it makes you a little bit more aware about something that resonates with you then you're more likely to initiate change by simply maybe researching it more that's initiating change learning more but you have to first be aware of either how something makes you feel or how something's happening to you and I think this comes up in yoga a lot too when I do yoga is and this is so good like if you can just like slow down and take like deep slow breaths

Dr. Shannon (26:11.048)
Mm-hmm.

Rachael Hutchins (26:28.05)
and notice, have awareness in your body to how it's feeling for you. No one can tell you that breath should feel a certain way. Like it only really matters how it feels to you and that changes day to day. So whether it be in a yoga practice or just slowing down and breathing and being like how am I feeling right now? What am I feeling in my body? And then you can make a shift in either the movement or the moment and that's for me.

Dr. Shannon (26:29.937)
Uh-huh.

Rachael Hutchins (26:57.474)
how I react to things, if I can take a moment and breathe and what's happening around me, how do I want to show up here, how can I do it differently, and sometimes it is a reflective practice too versus a pre, sometimes it's a post for me and that's okay too, right? Something happens and I have to take some deep breaths and I'm like, okay, this could have been different. Anyway, so many, so many parallels to the awareness that kind of gives me the...

Dr. Shannon (27:02.664)
Uh huh.

Dr. Shannon (27:07.538)
Uh huh.

Dr. Shannon (27:16.268)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Shannon (27:21.89)
Mm-hmm. It can, it applies, yes.

Mm-hmm. That's why that one was such a good, it was such a good word with that, especially with that intention I had behind it. And then that year did kind of end up like that. It was, and I then, I don't know in the past if I've looked at it, if I've applied the word into all the little areas that I identify with. But there was like awareness of marriage, awareness with my husband, awareness with my kids.

Rachael Hutchins (27:26.934)
the tingles. I love it.

Rachael Hutchins (27:36.471)
Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Rachael Hutchins (27:55.226)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Shannon (27:56.696)
looking at all of those little ways or those little areas of places of change. So I did really like that word a lot. Yeah, so then last year, 2023, this might have been one of my favorite words. And it makes me laugh thinking about what you've said about me in the past and then choosing this word because it's like, oh no, I still have work to do.

Rachael Hutchins (28:00.95)
Mm-hmm.

Rachael Hutchins (28:07.48)
I'm loving it.

Dr. Shannon (28:25.192)
So my word was rhythm. And honestly, the first thing that comes to mind is Rhythm Nation by Janet Jackson. And like, I just, oh my God. And do you know she went on tour last year? Like, so I told my patients about it in the office and I was like, y'all, Janet hasn't been, Janet Jackson's one of my favorites. And she, I don't know, she hadn't been on tour in forever. And I was like, it's because I chose the word rhythm and it was Rhythm Nation. I just, mm. Anyways, maybe I'm saying my age, but that.

Rachael Hutchins (28:30.883)
Hahaha!

Rachael Hutchins (28:35.192)
Oh

Rachael Hutchins (28:43.498)
and that's you chose the word. Girl. Hmm.

Dr. Shannon (28:51.048)
So first, I dance a little bit when I think of rhythm in my head, and I think of Rhythm Nation, and just, oh, that's such a strong Janet song. Yes, yes. But I can't dance, so it doesn't really... That's not where the word rhythm goes. Rhythm was the... I didn't want the word balance because I don't like the connotations associated with balance as far as it being perfect, right? 50-50. I didn't want flow because I just felt like, I feel like I'd used that too much or I thought about it.

Rachael Hutchins (28:55.542)
So it initiates a good feeling. Yeah.

Rachael Hutchins (29:13.046)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Shannon (29:20.616)
too much. So that's what rhythm meant was the rhythm of life, the rhythm of seasons. And I wanted still more of that alignment of like, okay, this is what aligns with me. This is saying yes to things and no to things. Like still like that's what's so funny because you mentioned that. And I was like, I still think I need to work on that. I mean, it's constant. Yeah.

Rachael Hutchins (29:44.234)
Well, it can be a constant. It can be, it doesn't, it's never fully fixed or not even needs to be fixed, just awareness of it.

Dr. Shannon (29:51.468)
Yeah, but that's what rhythm was. And I will say, I feel like last year was a really good parenting year for me. I don't think I felt as stressed as I had. And so that's when I realized that when I have my cup is full, when I am in rhythm,

I'm a better human being. Like that, if I just sum up a phrase from last year. So, yeah.

Rachael Hutchins (30:21.422)
Hmm.

Rachael Hutchins (30:26.626)
Hmm. And that is amazing, because that's not an easy thing. Like so many people don't fill their cup or don't make awareness around like how they can show up better and then realizing that benefits everyone around you and yourself. And so to kind of find that state, I think some people aren't willing to kind of look at it in the way that you do. And I think there's so much to learn and be open to there. I love it. I'm inspired.

Dr. Shannon (30:36.288)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Shannon (30:42.631)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Shannon (30:54.857)
So what I did this year with my vision board event, some years past I've had so many things, I've made a double-sided board.

Dr. Shannon (31:09.824)
Can you still hear me?

Dr. Shannon (31:15.168)
Can you still hear me?

Dr. Shannon (31:38.399)
It's just the internet went out.

Dr. Shannon (32:16.384)
wonder if I should just...

Dr. Shannon (32:20.372)
Um, because I just won't have the...

Dr. Shannon (32:33.844)
Thank you.

Dr. Shannon (33:06.972)
Thank you.

Dr. Shannon (33:25.504)
I don't even know what I was saying.

Dr. Shannon (34:51.028)
Hmm.

Rachael Hutchins (36:06.881)
Hi.

Dr. Shannon (36:07.735)
Okay, so
Dr. Shannon (00:02.144)
All right, so we had slight technical difficulties. So we're back. We're gonna try to splice this together. I don't know what it's gonna sound like, but I know that we were talking about my double-sided vision boards before. It was rudely interrupted by a power surge or something. I don't know. Anywho, so double-sided vision boards. This was not on my vision board. Thank you very much. In the past, I had so many thoughts. I did...

Rachael Hutchins (00:15.871)
I'm going to go to bed.

Dr. Shannon (00:30.76)
double-sided vision boards. And I would kind of flip it around based on the day because I put it right next to my bed. And then this past year, I liked the word rhythm so much, I wanted to keep that board. So I flipped it around and I put my new word on the back. I do like to have the word on there. I'm still not completely done with the board because I don't have the word on there specifically yet. I did ask...

my oldest Ethan who's pretty artsy, I asked him to make me a, you know, one of those like little coloring sheet things. I wanted him to make me one, but have the word bold in there. And so he did that. So I've colored it and I put it in my planner, but he came up with a brilliant idea. He was like, he goes, mommy, why don't you just make copies of this? He doesn't have to keep making new ones for me. He's like, just make a copy of it and then you can use it wherever you want to. And I was like, you're very brilliant, my friend. So I made a copy, so we're going from the copies.

Rachael Hutchins (01:08.663)
Hmm.

Rachael Hutchins (01:17.485)
Yeah.

Rachael Hutchins (01:24.82)
Work smarter, not harder.

Dr. Shannon (01:26.484)
Thank you. Yeah. So I made copies. So I'm thinking that's going to end up on the board. But yeah, that's my double-sided vision board thing. So that's my words of the year. That's my thoughts on the words of the year. I think it's a really fun and cool process. Now, what was cute was you, once again, I was like, we were coming up with topics for the show. And I was like, I don't know. I wrote this new blog that I haven't written in like a year and a half or however long.

and it's talking about the word of the year. And you're like, okay, let's do it. And I'm always like, nobody wants to hear this. And then you're like, nope, we're gonna do it because this is how it's gonna relate to everything. And you're like, and I've not done a word of the year. So I'm gonna come up with one. And I have this giant blog with like 18 paragraphs and it's the outline for our show. And then at the bottom, Rachel writes, it's like two lines. She's like, Rachel's word of the year. And then it's like your word. And I'm like, this is amazing.

It's like the cutest thing I've ever seen. So I would love to know what word I have forced you to, to take with you. Oh my God. I just think it's cute.

Rachael Hutchins (02:23.431)
I'm sorry.

Rachael Hutchins (02:32.518)
Hey, I want to participate in the process So I'll just say this about like our myself like we are very similar right? but then there are differences and I am not good with a planner or a journal. I have lots of words lots of thoughts. I love communication I actually really love writing. I have a weird hang up around

I've started journals and never finished them. That gives me anxiety. Anyways, I love the vision board activity. I've done that with you a couple of times. I still have one from a couple of years ago that I still have in my master bedroom closet because I love it so much and it's still like so many aspects of it still resonate. So another thing about me is my husband has this like spiral bound notebook.

Dr. Shannon (03:13.312)
Mm-hmm. I remember that one. That's a good one.

Rachael Hutchins (03:29.026)
And he puts like random notes in it. We communicate mostly digitally. Like we manage all of our household stuff, like on the Google drive. We love digital, like efficiencies, but he's got this spiral bound notebook that he'll write random things in. Like to do's or ideas. Or last year at the end of the, or beginning of 2023, he like asked the family, not like resolutions, but more like, what's something you want to do for yourself this year? Like.

Dr. Shannon (03:44.64)
I'm going to go ahead and close the video.

Rachael Hutchins (03:57.238)
what's something intentional you could do. And the boys had a couple things. Each of the boys had a couple things. Jay had a couple things and then he had my name and it was blank. Because I just, I can't do it. I'm like, I can't be confined or there's an expectation that I can't like meet if I, but it was fun to see the boys, they were very like.

Dr. Shannon (04:00.131)
Aww.

Dr. Shannon (04:20.927)
Mmm.

Rachael Hutchins (04:25.054)
Everett wanted to complete red belt in taekwondo. He did that at the end of the year. He got through to it. He's going to be testing for black belt this year. And he had something to do with basketball, make a couple goals in a game. And he had done that. One of marshals was to stop putting his finger in his nose. He's still working on that. But there was one that I can't remember the other one he had, but he had achieved it. For there, so I'm like, this is a great exercise. And Jay had some things he had accomplished.

Dr. Shannon (04:27.655)
Uh huh.

Dr. Shannon (04:43.4)
See? It doesn't have to be.

Rachael Hutchins (04:54.11)
It's so cool to like write it at the beginning of the year and then be able to look back on the year. I love it. But for whatever reason, I cannot fully engage in the process. Yeah. Well, and I'm kind of like, I want to do it, but then I still have some hangups around it. Maybe I need some to work that out. But I...

Dr. Shannon (05:00.744)
You don't do it. You're like, I love it for you. She's like, I love that for you.

Dr. Shannon (05:11.161)
Uh...

Dr. Shannon (05:19.676)
My cheeks hurt, I'm smiling so much.

Rachael Hutchins (05:20.106)
When I was reading this, when I was reading this and even talking about it, I was like, this is so inspiring and I want to inspire others that if it resonates with you to do this, because I believe in it, like being able to look back on this and like just your intentionality around it and the way you weave it in and the way like it can show up in your life. I just am truly inspired by it. Um, and so I want it to participate in the conversation, um, and have a word. And if you can remember next year, we can.

Dr. Shannon (05:45.132)
I love it.

Rachael Hutchins (05:49.23)
have make me reflect on it. But I chose the word progress. I feel like I'm in the middle of a lot of big projects right now, a lot of growth and a lot of things happening. And I just need to see things move forward to not feel like I have too many things going that have kind of like stalled or stagnant or just, it's just a season of like a lot of hands in a lot of different places. So

I really just would like to have incremental progress to move through the things that in my mind I want to see done because then that means I'm moving forward in the ways I want to move forward. So progress. And then, I mean, the progress is going to be applied to a lot of things. I spent all of last year or nine months of last year trying to heal my body in different ways. I've been working with a pelvic floor therapist and I've been working with a chiropractor very closely to...

Dr. Shannon (06:29.088)
for us.

Rachael Hutchins (06:47.102)
address some chronic pain that I've been having and some dysfunction that I've had from having children and years of not taking care of myself in the way I've always taken care of myself. Like I work out, I eat good, but like there's this other layer I needed to kind of get to have like optimal health. And so I did, I spent a big chunk of the year sort of almost like undoing and resetting and I'm hoping for 2024 that the progress is that I get to like move into the phase that I want to physically and like

Dr. Shannon (06:57.888)
Mm-hmm.

Rachael Hutchins (07:16.01)
be strong, be able to work out in the way I want to work out, and be healthy for my family. And I saw so much improvement in that, so I'm excited for 2024 for that to keep going, keep progressing in that area.

Dr. Shannon (07:32.096)
Look at you. That's so good. I love that word. I'm proud of you. Are you going to put that in the journal that Jay made? Be like, look at that.

Rachael Hutchins (07:35.83)
There we go, I did it. Ha!

Rachael Hutchins (07:42.174)
It needs to go in Jay's journal because I don't have any. It needs to go in Jay's spiral bound notebook. That has like the most random things, but no, I thought it was so cute to see that he had that.

Dr. Shannon (07:45.252)
Yeah, that's good to say, but it in Jay's journal.

Dr. Shannon (07:51.168)
Oh my God. I love it. That's fine. I think that's so... No, I love that. And I love the family aspect of what they're doing as well too. So I like that word. I like that word a lot for you. What comes to mind a little bit too is like a progress over perfection and not getting hung up on certain things, but it's like every little bit counts and

Rachael Hutchins (08:04.502)
Mm-hmm.

Rachael Hutchins (08:16.314)
Yes.

Dr. Shannon (08:20.64)
progress can also be seeing something and saying, I need to backtrack a bit and then go this way. So it's also, yes, it's moving forward, but I'm wanting you to realize that progress can also be the aspect of like, okay, let's reanalyze. That's where I went here. Is that where I want to go? Is that what needs to happen? And then kind of like, yeah, reevaluating that. I don't like it. It's a good word.

Rachael Hutchins (08:29.614)
Mm. Mm-hmm.

Rachael Hutchins (08:39.691)
Mm-hmm.

Rachael Hutchins (08:46.97)
No, I definitely need to let that sink in for sure. I'm, um, I have our time moving projects forward because I feel like if I can't finish...

Dr. Shannon (08:52.315)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Shannon (08:56.942)
Mm-hmm.

Rachael Hutchins (08:58.41)
Like a big chunk of it or what I want. I don't get into it. Therefore it's left simmering Instead of just doing the like a little bit here and there just truly trying to keep moving it forward incrementally I have a hold up around that so Um, that's what i'm trying to prioritize and say it's okay If you can only work on it for 30 minutes versus needing like a four-hour block to work on something like Do what you can with what you got and it'll slowly but surely

Dr. Shannon (09:00.916)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Shannon (09:05.875)
Uh huh.

Dr. Shannon (09:09.556)
them a little bit.

Dr. Shannon (09:16.221)
Yeah.

Dr. Shannon (09:23.252)
That's huge. Yeah.

Dr. Shannon (09:28.52)
Mm-hmm. I know. So hopefully these, there's some words in here that maybe you can take with you through either throughout the year, throughout pregnancy, maybe there's new things that you learn. I'm going to link my blog up here. And then we have episode 130.

Rachael Hutchins (09:34.773)
Mm-hmm.

Rachael Hutchins (09:40.528)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Shannon (09:50.208)
It's a little solo one I did about birth affirmations and journal prompts, so that goes a little bit more in depth with this and then shares some journal prompts you can use to maybe tease out some information. I do think if it aligns with you, journaling can be a very therapeutic process unless it brings like stress. Then it's like, well, let's, yeah, why does that bring stress there? And then in episode number 85, we did the visualizations for...

Rachael Hutchins (10:07.446)
Yes. Try it. You have to try it.

Dr. Shannon (10:18.504)
birth and life and that's where we talked about the vision boards and how that can apply to birth as well. Because it's all about, I guess it goes back to all about like digging a little bit deeper birth brings you to certain aspects of yourself that you didn't realize that you had. And so these are fun ways to honor that honor the journey on the pregnancy, the labor, the birth.

Rachael Hutchins (10:36.599)
Mm-hmm.

Rachael Hutchins (10:44.2)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Shannon (10:48.756)
Yeah, I hope you kind of tap into some of that strength. So hopefully you gather a word. Oh, I will share this. Some parents have shared words. I have a runner patient and her word is slow or slowly, which is really funny. That does not sound like what a runner would want, but she just had her third baby and being intentional, we're going to have her on the podcast. We're going to interview her. She's fantastic. So...

Rachael Hutchins (11:08.1)
Mmm, she needs to be intentionally like...

Dr. Shannon (11:18.228)
That's her word. My aunt, her word was simplify. I like that. I need to simplify a lot of things. And then another chiropractic friend had the word devotion. So I liked that. And then I had another patient with the word sustainable. So I don't know. It's really cool. I know, I know. Then I have these conversations with the patients in the office and I'll be like,

Rachael Hutchins (11:24.08)
Mmm.

Rachael Hutchins (11:33.395)
Mm-hmm.

Rachael Hutchins (11:40.52)
Hmm. I like that word.

Dr. Shannon (11:46.076)
Not that they need to know what the word means to me, but a lot of times, I don't know, I guess I like to have a little bit of insight into people and kind of share my thoughts and goals with them as well too. And so with hers, I had come across the word sustainable growth and she really, really liked that as well too. So, yeah, this is just, you know, your word is your word. No right or wrong. That's the fun part. There's no right or wrong.

Rachael Hutchins (11:57.486)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Rachael Hutchins (12:05.402)
Yeah. Try it out. Try it out.

Dr. Shannon (12:13.571)
All right, stay tuned for another new episode next week.

Rachael Hutchins (12:17.878)
Bye friends.