A Year Shaped by One Word

A KTHT Collaboration: I asked our readers and writers to choose their own power words, and they picked some great ones

May More 💜, Marie A. Rebelle, Diana C., and 10 others

Feb 19, 2026

Marie Rebelle inspired this, our latest collaboration. It’s about choosing a yearly power word to guide you toward a more authentic version of yourself.

Take a look at her post:

Using Power Words To Guide My Daily Life

Marie A. Rebelle

February 12, 2025

Read full story

Marie A. Rebelle writes

I don't like choosing resolutions for a new year, but a few years ago, I chose one word to guide me and it became an annual habit. These words have guided me in different ways, and helped with healing. A snippet from my post, linked by May above: "A word that carried meaning, that reflected where I was at that moment in my life — and where I wasn’t. I chose none of those words lightly. Each of them marked a stage of a long, uneven journey of finding my true self."

2026: Belong

A few weeks ago I asked our readers and writers to choose their own power word(s), and they picked some great ones:

Belong. Flow(2). Patience. Accept. Peace. Home. Authenticity. Self-empathy. Consistency. (In)Convenience. Clarity. Relentless/Unapologetic. Embody.

Have a read below to see who chose which word and why…

Me May More 💜 writes

Marie was right — when I finally sat still with myself, the word chose me. And it’s ACCEPT.

I picked it because I’m bad at doing it.

I fight what IS.
I argue with timing, endings, people, my own limits.
I keep thinking something should be different - me, my life, my wants and needs.

So this year, my work is acceptance. Not giving up or pretending everything is fine. But meeting life where it actually is — not where I wish it was.

Accepting the way I am. My past. Other people’s choices. And importantly, the things I can’t fix.

It doesn’t mean I stop wanting, or growing. It means I stop beating myself up for being human while I still live.

Diana C. writes

My word for 2026 is FLOW.

Flow because, throughout the years, I thought I was surrendering to the things I couldn’t control, the people I couldn’t keep in my life and the changes that were sudden and destabilizing. But I wasn’t. I was resisting, and that resistance built up deep resentment within me. It numbed me, affected my health, and killed my creativity.

So this year, the word flow is my anchor. I will flow through the changes, the relationships, the obstacles, and the experiences. I will flow even when the undercurrents are powerful and swift, and even when fear threatens to take over in attempt to paralyze me.

Vision2Verse writes

Why my power words for 2026 are Relentless and Unapologetic.

Because I’ve already survived the seasons that tried to slow me down, quiet me, or convince me to shrink. I know what hesitation costs. I know what happens when I wait for permission.

Relentless because stopping would be a betrayal of everything I’ve lived through.

I don’t restart anymore. I advance. I stay the course. I keep going even when it’s uncomfortable, even when it’s lonely, even when it would be easier to quit.

Unapologetic because I’m done negotiating my existence.
I don’t owe explanations for my clarity, my pace, or my calling.
I’m not here to be palatable, I’m here to be precise.
This isn’t about proving anything.
It’s about honoring what I carry.

In 2026, I move with conviction.
I speak with clean truth.
I choose alignment over approval.
I am relentless.
I am unapologetic.

And I’m no longer asking to be understood before I move forward.

Noor Vellin writes

I had to sit with this for a while, but then I knew: my power word for the coming year is HOME.

For most of my life, I felt like something was missing. I didn’t fully belong anywhere, not even in my own name. That feeling stayed with me for many years.

Finding my father after 38 years changed everything. Building a close relationship with him showed me who I am and where I come from. This year, I will reclaim my birth name - my father’s name. Not to erase the past, but to honour the truth. It feels like taking back a part of myself that was always meant to be mine.

HOME also means that I am finally at peace inside. For many years, I didn’t fully feel at home in myself. That changed last year when I was diagnosed with ADHD and found the right support. I now feel balanced, calm, and able to enjoy life.

Because I feel whole now, I can give back. Working on our family history has shown me how powerful it is to know where you come from. By helping my mother, my father, and others discover their roots, I feel I am giving something meaningful back. What was once missing in my own life, I can now help restore for others.

This year is about belonging, truth, and love. This year, I am HOME.

Robert Gowty writes

My word of 2026 is (IN)CONVENIENCE. What does it mean and how does it shape my decisions, how does it shape my world? I also recall an interview with George Harrison where they asked him if “All You Need is Love” still held. He paused, scrunching up his face like he wasn’t really sure, then replied: “All you need is JUSTICE”

I’ll give you an example. My shack, where I spend quite a bit of time, has no running water. Inconvenient, some might say. Yet, in putting aside the convenience, something is revealed about how I spend my time and effort, what I really need and what my relationship with nature is.

In my last newsletter I touched on overconsumption, which was the beginning of looking at the nature of convenience.

Karin C writes

Ever since the year my divorce papers arrived, I’ve chosen a power word for the year. The previous years’ words stacked on one another like this: release, vision, explore, pause, awe, naked faith, and create.

This year, I sit on the precipice of a new decade. A eve of sorts. A 9-ending year. As such, I’ve taken more time to discern this year’s word.

In reflecting on what I’ve chosen in the past, I see a pattern of seeking and effort. Of building a framework to trust in myself and in the Divine. So as I sit on the threshold of a new decade, the word that rises up is EMBODY. To enter and inhabit that structure. To live those words. EMBODY is about integration. Dwelling. Settling in. About listening and trusting what my body knows to be true.

EMBODY is trust made visible.

Suzie Alexander writes

I’m not generally one to pick power words but this prompt has me thinking!

I want to add the word AUTHENTICITY.

Most of my life I didn’t speak up and chose my words carefully as not to “talk back.”

Now I wish to express my true feelings, in a kind way while getting my point across and standing up for who I am😉

Ute Luppertz writes

When I reflect on what the most powerful message for me is going forward in 2026, I need to go back to 2025 when I lost a lot:

Friends, work, identity, my dog, and structure in my life that I could rely on to a certain extent. When I’m getting stressed out, I tend to barrel through things. That has been my greatest superpower, and also my greatest weakness.

There are many words that come to mind, such as expansion, mindfulness, quantum something, sovereignty, abundance, and freedom. I could go on and on.

My greatest inspiration is that Buddhist monks are walking for peace in the US right now. They started in Texas and are heading towards Washington DC. They remind me of my roots in meditation and of the time I lived in India, immersed in the sacred culture.

So the word that I am choosing on my path forward is PEACE. What does this mean? It means I strive to be mindful in my reactions and to trust my essence, even in the eye of a storm. And when I stumble, I will take a few deep breaths and reconnect with the eternal, with peace.

Jesse Wilson writes

Some years, choosing a word for the year is a struggle; and yet on others, a word arrives, and it instantly feels right. In previous years, I settled for words such as grace, momentum, and focus; they continue to live their purpose.

This year, in choosing, I have realised that perhaps the difficulty lies in reconciling who you are now with future possibilities. Ironically, I am suspended between the words clarity and acceptance.

Clarity, because I have noticed this has become part of my journey of self-discovery and boundary-setting.

Acceptance because I understand this is part of our lifelong lesson on impermanence and a shortcut to happiness, especially in a world that feels so heavy right now.

Perhaps clarity is what I want in recognising who I need to be to achieve peace and discernment. It is a state of being that feels active and calls for pursuing what I value.

So I choose clarity because it holds acceptance, sets expectations, shapes the questions I ask, and defines how I show up for myself and others.

Sue Banerji writes

I had to sit alone for few seconds and dive deep into myself to retrieve that one word that could be my guiding light in 2026.

More than likely, the word Self-empathy has ‘chosen me’. Like it was already there waiting for me to open my mental drawer..

Most of my life, I have taken care of others. And even though I have worn many hats, my care giver hat has been the most profound and rewarding.

Out of this pathetic empathy in me, I have helped people and even their problems. Empathy constantly overflows. And lately I have found that somewhere in being busy, I have ignored myself. I have denied the pleasure of being in my own company.

Now my body and mind and soul are rebelling. They are begging for attention.My attention!

So I have decided to make time to embrace self-empathy.

Be courageous to accept that I need help. I need to liberate myself by focusing on self care. I am convincing myself– it is not selfish to understand and fulfil my needs. It simply means I finally want to treat myself with the kindness and care I deserve.

Like go for regular medical check ups. Not ignore my appointments. Find grace in taking breaks, short naps as needed, Say no to others without feeling guilty! Lessen my work loads. Do only what my body and time permits.

We all know mind and body health are deeply interconnected. There is a bidirectional system. Mental stress manifests in physical symptoms and vice versa. I am no exception.

Taking care of others is extremely rewarding, without a doubt. I have always taught it to my students and others. Now in 2026 I have to advocate for self-empathy without sacrificing empathy for others.

Gabriela Trofin-Tatár writes

I used to make resolutions, write lists and plan many things for the year ahead, that was before having kids. That was actually before even growing up into an adult.

I learned life can be unppredictable and that the most I can do, is to write down the things I wish to do, achieve, draw plans, yet without a certain deadline to them. Rather place the positive energy towards making things happen. I became better at FLOW. So I think this is my word also for this year, officially :)

As a mom of three small kids, Flow makes me better at being myself, finally not obsessing about to-dos like before. Flow is more about living the moment, observing and allowing space for the unpredictable.

Andi Luna Rosendahl writes

CONSISTENCY is the word I’m choosing for 2026, not as something strict or inflexible, but as a steady anchor.

After completely turning my life around last year, I’ve finally reached a place where things feel more grounded. The direction is clear, the pace is calmer, and the focus now is on keeping things moving forward in a way that’s sustainable.

For me, consistency isn’t about doing everything perfectly or sticking to a rigid routine. It’s about showing up regularly and trusting the process. It’s learning a new language one step at a time, knowing progress comes from repetition more than bursts of motivation. It’s supporting a homeschooling rhythm for my child that offers structure while staying adaptable to real life.

I have a schedule that works for me, one that can shift when needed without everything falling apart. Consistency helps me grow professionally, explore new areas, and stay curious without burning out. I believe `consistency` allows space for ambition, but also for rest.

Kristi Joy Rimbach writes

This is the first year I have chosen a “power word”, although I didn’t mean to. At my daughter’s request, we began attending church a few months ago. At the front of the church, handwritten signs had been attached to the walls surrounding the pulpit with words such as “gratitude”, “peace”, “compassion” and “patience”. As the end of the year approached, the minister invited us to choose a word to guide us in the new year. My eyes kept landing on the word “patience”, but I resisted: menopause, and a traumatized nervous system were working against me. I was already trying, and failing, to be more patient.

Yet, despite NOT choosing the word patience, it seems to have somehow been chosen, perhaps by some older and wiser part of me. And this wiser me came up with a pretty clever trick: Every time I feel the stirrings of impatience, this thought, unbidden, comes into my mind: “How would someone with great patience and trust feel right now?” So, I imagine it, I pretend I am that person, and in that moment I am—the impatience dissolves. It’s like magic!