Word Alchemy: Simplicity
The quiet power of choosing less—and receiving more
If you’ve been following me for a while, you know how deeply I believe in being conscious and intentional with the language we use. Words carry immense power. They either support our expansion and freedom, or quietly reinforce our limitations, keeping us stuck in patterns we can’t seem to outgrow.
My aim with these Word Alchemy newsletters is twofold. I know from experience that even with the best of intentions, we can start out paying close attention to the words we use—and then the many distractions of life slowly and subtly pull us away from that focus. I don’t get stressed or upset about the diversion anymore; I realize it’s often just the frenetic pace of life around us.
I simply remember that we do have agency and choice, and I bring myself back to center. When something diverts us from our path, we can choose to see it, acknowledge it, and then course-correct and get back into alignment with our desires. Which is why one objective of the Word Alchemy series is to continually bring us back to conscious awareness of the language we use. My other main intention is to suggest words that can propel us to wholeness, fulfillment, peace, and freedom.
As it’s the beginning of a new year, I thought, what better time than now to reignite the practice of paying closer attention to the words we think and say, noticing whether they are disempowering or empowering? Sometimes, I still catch myself being careless with the language I use, not giving conscious thought to the actual words I’m thinking and speaking.
And then that carelessness becomes habitual, and without even realizing it, I’m creating a reality I don’t want—a reality that contradicts the identity and life I’ve been working so diligently to create. Let me say that again, because it bears repeating: words create our reality. And with some effort, we can proactively program our brains with our words to create the life of our dreams, rather than affirm a life more akin to a nightmare.
Once you deliberately notice what you are saying, then tune in to how your body feels when you say certain words and phrases. Do you ever say things like, I’m so tired all the time. Or, I can’t do this anymore. Or, I just can’t win. Or, I never have enough money. And how does your body feel when you articulate those words?
Words carry emotional charge. They shape our thoughts, influence our behavior, and ultimately determine our results. Do you want to instruct your mind to make you feel tired all the time? Do you want to program your brain to continually look for ways to keep you broke? Or to constantly look for situations where you can never win? I know you don’t, and neither do I.
My challenge to you is to notice the words you think and say, the feelings those words produce, and then implement tactics to shift those words or phrases. Now that you’re aware of some things you’d like to deprogram, you can create new phrases to counter the unproductive ones—each time you catch yourself saying the limiting word or phrase, you can repeat the new one like a mantra—you create a new habitual phrase that empowers rather than disempowers. You can also shift your perceptions of situations by changing the words you use to define them.
Of course, you can also pick one word to focus on that you use to view your life through. As I step into the person I am becoming, I consciously choose a word that reflects how I want my life to look and feel. For example, last year, when I focused on words like Expansive or Nurture, I looked at everything I was thinking and doing through the lens of those words. Were my thoughts expansive and nurturing? Were my actions?
If the answer was no, I used that information to make conscious changes that reframed those thoughts or behaviors through the lens of expansion or nurture. This practice isn’t necessarily easy—because it definitely requires willingness and effort; however, it is simple. And it has the power to radically upgrade and liberate every area of your life.
If you read last week’s newsletter, you know I prepared a list of words I am intentionally implanting into my vocabulary over the next twelve months. These words add to my words installed in 2025—they don’t replace them, as I am building an expansive, empowered lexicon to replace anything that limits me. Additionally, the 2026 words may change as I grow, which is perfectly okay—we all evolve.
And even though I already have my chosen words consistently flowing through my mind, I want to pick one at a time to obsess over 24/7 for four to eight weeks. I want it anchored in my brain. I want it so ingrained in my mind that it automatically influences my thoughts, decisions, actions, and results, deeply and thoroughly.
So, the word I picked first for 2026? Drumroll, please…Simplicity.
Just thinking that word makes me slow down and take a breath that fills my lungs and nourishes each cell of my body. Simplicity feels spacious and expansive, with room to create and space to focus on the things that are vitally important to me.
It gives me permission to let go of anything I can that’s creating complexity, distraction, overwhelm, or draining my time and energy. Simplicity means I open up time to create the identity I want to be—the woman I am becoming. Simplicity allows for ease, flow, calm, and freedom. Simplicity means I slow down and allow room for magic and mystery.
It means simplifying every area of my life to create space to fulfill my highest potential. Space to feel more joy and lightness of being. It’s serenity and peace. It releases rushing, so I can be fully present for the people and experiences in my life. It’s living from my authentic self—not worrying about what society is telling me I should want or who I should be. It feels simultaneously revolutionary, countercultural, and unbelievably freeing.
When I live in simplicity, I eliminate all that’s unnecessary—all of the non-essentials. On the physical level, I eliminate clutter and anything that no longer serves the life I am creating—things that no longer hold value for me, things I might use “one day,” but haven’t used in a few years, things that are broken, stained, whatever the case may be. It’s about simplifying, so I only keep the items I love. I’m not wasting time organizing, managing, and cleaning “stuff” I don’t even want.
I’m simplifying possessions so I can devote my time and energy to my life’s purpose, and to the people and activities I love. It doesn’t mean living without nice things; it means I only keep the things that align with my values. And since I’m focused on simplicity, it means that I don’t unconsciously accumulate things. Every purchase is intentional and conscious, and aligns with my values. I want ease and flow, and the more I simplify, the more I open myself up to ease and flow.
This also applies to my mental and emotional clutter. I greatly strive for simplicity in these areas, and one way I accomplish this is by eliminating thought patterns that tangle my thinking. I eliminate worries and fears I can’t do anything about, like using precious energy worrying about what people think of me. I work on shifting my focus and perspective on issues that trigger, drain, overwhelm, or stress me. Honestly, I think mental and emotional clutter is more burdensome than objects, even, and typically much harder to discard. But the payoff is hugely enlightening. I do whatever I can to free up mental space and continually align all parts of myself, so everything simply flows.
I eliminate (as much as possible) saying yes when I know I need to say no. I eliminate the incessant need to be busy, busy, busy, spending time doing, doing, doing things that no longer serve me. For example, I am an extremely organized person, and as such, have many strategies that I utilize to keep everything in highly structured order. I have calendars and spreadsheets and documents and contacts and on and on. I scan and file and sort and…you get the idea.
All of a sudden, it dawned on me that, even though my extreme organization makes things easier sometimes and gives me a lot of information at my fingertips, it also creates a great deal of extra work for myself—busy work that is often unnecessary. Much of it is me trying to prepare for things that might happen, an unconscious attempt to create a sense of control.
As I thought about this, it struck me that this organizational practice is a habit that goes all the way back to my childhood, when it developed as a means of claiming whatever small amount of control I could. I didn’t have control over anything except my own space, so I kept it immaculately organized. I have been aware of this, but what I hadn’t fully realized is that the habit still perpetuates as a means of control, even now. It’s not so much about organization as it is about trying to prepare for the unexpected or unwelcome.
And yes, in many ways this extreme organization is a wonderful skill—but when it is serving to cover up a feeling of lack of control, or to prepare for any imaginable unforeseen circumstance, it takes time away from the things that truly matter to me—the things that bring fulfillment, joy, and move me forward in the life I am creating. Wow.
What I love about choosing a word to focus on is that it doesn’t just change my behavior or help me create my future—it also helps me see myself more clearly, so I can break free from anything holding me back.
So, for 2026, I have decided to significantly simplify this habit of mine—creating extra work for myself with the intention of organizing—because it actually creates more work and complexity. (Sometimes realizations arrive with the force of a punch in the gut.) With Simplicity guiding me, I am carefully analyzing what truly simplifies and what doesn’t. I release the complicated and embrace the simple.
Simplicity also means identifying anything that could be automated or delegated. Whatever I can automate or delegate frees up time and energy for me to use for meaningful pursuits. I have created routines for myself to simplify and streamline my time. I have a morning routine with non-negotiables and space for other practices depending on my needs of the day. For fitness, I have my non-negotiables for the week, a toolbox full of the current modalities I’m using, and then I pick something from that toolbox each day, depending on what my soul and body are telling me they need.
These are just a few of the shifts I’m making with simplicity as my lens. I’m sure there will be many more, but this start already feels immensely liberating. I repeatedly ask myself, is this creating simplicity or complexity? Then, I act accordingly, depending on the answer.
As I move into the new year, I know this with absolute certainty: the words I choose either limit or liberate me. They shape my perceptions, beliefs, and possibilities. So I choose to elevate my language—again and again—until it mirrors the woman I am becoming and the life I am creating.
Remember:
Words create the stories we tell ourselves.
The stories we tell ourselves create the lens through which we view life.
The lens through which we view life frames how we experience life, and consequently, the choices we make.
Every single word has power.
How are you choosing to direct that power?
Every word you speak is shaping your future.
Choose them with reverence. Choose them with love. Choose them with power.
You’re welcome to choose Simplicity as your word, too—but this journey is about what feels most aligned for you. Trust the word that’s calling your name, and click the button below to tell me what you chose. I can’t wait to hear what you picked. 😁
Thanks so much for reading. I hope your new year is off to a magical start!
xoxo,
Gina