Three Words to Live By for 2026

I had my Three Words to Live By post ready to share with you on December 30, and then the unexpected happened. We got a call around 5 pm that Tuesday because my 87 year old dad had pain above his heart and was headed into the emergency room with my mom. While we waited for an update from our youngest sister, my other sister and I who were up north (1-1/2 hours away), started feeling uneasy. And then at 11:15 pm that night we knew things were worse than we thought as we got the call to head home and go directly to the hospital. From there it just got worse. Within 24 hours my sweet dad was gone. Our lives changed forever. It also made me rethink my last word and shifted my perspective.

Here is what I had ready to release:

Right before the new year begins I take time to think back over the past year and sift through its highs and lows and all that happened in between. After reflecting on 2025 I am feeling so full of gratitude for all the abundance around me. I have the best life and am so thankful for my health, my husband, my children, my family, my friends, my cottage, my inner peace and so much more. Despite a couple of glitches, 2025 has been really great for me.

Choosing the three words that will shape my upcoming year is always a fun part of ringing in the new year. As I ponder what I want more of in 2026, how I want to feel throughout the new year, I am excited to discover that this year’s words are full of a sense of adventure. Retirement for me, a full year of retirement and freedom for my husband, and a chance to do some of the things we never had time for before. Last year my hope was to gather people around my table (which we did a lot of), explore the outdoors around me (which we also did) and to personally bloom. I am not sure I really achieved full bloom, but I know for the most part I was happy & peace filled. Luckily, the times when I was not shining my brightest were short and very spread out.

I have created a life I do not need a vacation from and hopefully set myself up for a retirement filled with adventure and fun. My words for 2026 are:

Wonder: to be filled with admiration, amazement, or awe; marvel Take in all the beauty and beautiful moments in nature and in life around me.

Wander: to ramble without a definite purpose or objective; roam, rove, or stray. To wander over the earth, hike & explore.

Experience: (n) knowledge or practical wisdom gained from what one has observed, encountered, or undergone, (v) to participate in or undergo; to be emotionally or aesthetically moved by; feel.

After all that happened in the last day of 2025, I have changed my last word to this:

Cherish—to hold dear and protect; treasure (Appreciate every moment with my family, my peace, my happiness).

So my words for 2026 are: Wonder, Wander & Cherish. Cheers to a Happy New Year for us all. ♥

Just for fun here are all the words I used over the last 13 years.

2013 Simplify | Linger | Appreciate

2014 Clarify | Cultivate | Savor

2015 Freedom | Growth | Joy

2016 Express | Embrace | Create

2017 Illuminate | Trust | Thrive

2018 Foster | Expand | Dare

2019 Connection | Direction | Focus

2020 Adventure | Unleash | Thrive

2021 Radiate | Kindle | Embrace

2022 Nourish | Flow | Receive

2023 Confidence | Synergy | Reach

2024 Poise | Ease | Delight

2025 Gather | Explore | Bloom