The Word and the Album that Defined My 2016

2016. What a year it was.

Based on social media posts, it's a disaster many could not wait to let go of. I can't blame them.

Terrorist attacks. Riots. Protests. Brexit. Leagues of passed celebrities (George Michael, Carrie Fisher, and Debbie Reynolds in just the last week of the year; happy holidays, world...). A presidential election that was...constantly unpredictable, among other things.

But for me, though I saw these things happen and was affected by them, 2016 will leave as a year of value.

Value. My word of the year.

As of last year, I did away with New Year's resolutions (or wishful thinking, rather) upon reading a blog post about finding a word for the year and embodying it. (Sadly, I can no longer find that blog post). Both years now, I've searched for a word, seen one constantly pop up, and finalized that year's word by April.

Last year's word was power. I explored and understood my own self-power.

This year was value. And what better year to seek to add value to my life than as rough a year as 2016.

In fact, in my life journey, it just was the next step.

'It Took Me So Long To Get Here, But Here I Am'

• I took an improv acting class at comedy school The Second City in Hollywood. Now, I am deep into their performance program.
• I changed to a largely plant-based diet and continue to explore other means of healthfulness.
• I engaged in an online hypnotherapy course. (It works wonders! Thank you, Marisa Peer.)
• I finished up the five books I was reading at one time and now just am reading one, giving me greater sense of focus. (This may sound silly, but was a great feat for me.)
• I've delved into a writing project that I'd been procrastinating, but that has developed into full life and that I find great value in.

These and so much more have brought value into my life in 2016. Indeed, I feel I've adopted an attitude of value, much like I did last year with an attitude of power.

For me, 2016 will go down a s a year of value.
I look forward to the growth 2017 will bring and excitedly anticipate whatever word I may be led to that will define that growth.

This brings me to the album that has defined my year.

KIN by KT Tunstall.

Now years after her father's passing and her divorce, Tunstall has worked to disband social expectations and make her life the way she wants it. Released September 9, 2016, KIN is a celebration of her new arrival of self. The album explores themes of redefinition and of acceptance and gratitude for past challenges. From even the driving introduction of album opener 'Hard Girls,' the album's tunes lead listeners to burst through their barriers and to strongly stand on higher ground (to "pull it apart and put it back together" ('Everything Has Its Shape')).

The value I've added in 2016 gave me a greater sense of direction than I've had in recent years. It's helped me take greater stock in how I'd like my future to look and has given me a refreshed drive to achieve it -- it feels more at my fingertips than before. In seeking that value, I feel the sense to "pull it apart and put it back together how you want it," to dismantle all that I know--every tradition, habit, expectation, belief, dream--and to reshape my life in an entirely new direction so that what I want can show up.

It Took Me So Long To Get Here, But Here I Am.

'Everything Has Its Shape' is perhaps the song that
most defines where I am in life right now.

KIN speaks for my year of seeking value.

What album defined your year? What word did you embody in 2016?

  

For a bonus post on a quick rundown of past albums that defined my year, click here.