Let Your “Word” Help Create Your World in 2026 – Mine Will
“Words create worlds.” – Attributed to many “New worlds demand new words.” – Me
I believe words matter. Apparently, so do the many others who, like myself, have a New Year’s ritual of picking their “word for the year.” This is a word, short phrase, or quote that represents a personal and/or professional aspiration that will serve as an inspiration, motivation, anchor, or “theme” for the upcoming year. Over the years, mine have traditionally been “self-created” words that have energized me and served as a guide to keep me aligned with my stated priorities … they have helped me “create my world” for the year.
In the past few years, my self-created words have included “zilience,” “reslove,” “bemusedament,” “rēpiphany,” “awepique,” and for this past year, “liminicious.” Liminicious is a word that combined liminal (threshold) and -icious (full of, characterized by). It captured the sense of standing in an in-between space, marked by transition, uncertainty, and creative possibility. 2025 was indeed a year of crossing, stretching, and learning to stay present at the threshold without rushing to resolution. I’ll share more in next week’s post about how that liminicious posture helped to create and shape my world this past year.
As I turn toward 2026, the word that has emerged for me is lumeniferous – a Latin-inspired word rooted in lumen (light, illumination), -ferous (to carry or bear), and -feral (wild). At its simplest, it means “bearer of the uncontainable light.” It names a way of being that is not about producing light or drawing attention to oneself, but rather carrying and sharing light faithfully with others – allowing it to help connect, highlight, clarify, and invite. It’s not about becoming more visible for its own sake, but about removing what blocks the glow, such as fear, ego, and over-control, and trusting that what has been cultivated over time can now be carried outward.
I’m inspired by Jesus’ instruction: “You are the light of the world. Let your light shine.” This was not a command to go out and impress, but an encouragement to share freely what has been entrusted to us. To live lumeniferously is to resist the temptation to retreat or hide in a season when many of us feel tired, disconnected, discouraged, or even scared, but rather to stay engaged, creative, relational, even playful so that the light can circulate and spread. So, for 2026, my intention is to live lumeniferously, to carry that inner light with humility and courage, and to trust that when borne faithfully, it will shine where it is needed most and shine brighter the more it is shared.
How about you? What might be the word or words to help you frame your year – or perhaps for you it’s a picture, quote, song, or poem (or all of the above!). Consider picking one or more and sharing their meaning with those close to you, including your PeerRx partner if you have one. I’ve found that doing so is great fun, can provide you insights into your psyche, and by inviting others into the conversation, can supercharge your intention by providing some encouragement and accountability around it. Looking back one year from now, what kind of world do you want to have helped create in 2026? Well, it can all start with your “word.” Why not give it a try ….