01/02/2022 / Education

Are You a Number or Word Person?

Are you a number or word person? I never really thought of myself as either, but then life happens. The world around me tends to make me think deeply at times about a particular conversation or a recurring theme of ideas. 

Recently someone told me that the number 22, as in 2022, has significance in the world of numerology. They explained that it designates dreams coming true and that each calendar year adds up to a single digit that becomes it’s “Universal Year” number. Adding the digits of the year together 2022 equals 6, which is a number that is said to exude patience, peace, and attainment of dreams.  I don’t know anything about numerology, but I like the idea of this year being the year of peace and dreams coming true. Doing a quick Google search will provide a multitude of information on the meaning of numbers, astrology, and the history behind this practice. 
Many people choose a word that may be their focus for the month or the year. I’ve seen multiple articles and posts recently asking, “What’s your word?”. The idea that one word can be the catalyst to help one bring focus to their life is intriguing to me. I guess I may be a word person because I realized long ago the power that words can hold. Words can lift, wound, guide, ignite, and resonate depending on the tone, the context, and the ultimate purpose for which they are used. So I began thinking a lot about what my one word could possibly be and I kept coming up with three at a time. I’d try to clear my mind and focus on searching for that one word for the new year, but again three words would dance back in. So, taking a pen to paper I decided to do a good old brain dump to figure out the relationship these words had to each other and the significance these words may have in my life. Here is what I found:   

Meditate, appreciate, alleviate: Once I began to write these words, I felt the true power of my pen. It made perfect sense to me that when I meditate, or take a few minutes to pause, I can appreciate all that is good and  help me alleviate stress. 

Thoughtful, mindful, grateful: My thoughts lead me to being mindful of feeling grateful.

Forgiveness, kindness, happiness: This is a powerful trio of words: Forgiveness allows room for kindness which leads to happiness. 

Clarity, prosperity, charity: With clarity and a plan in place, my path leads to prosperity which then  allows me to bestow charity. 

Peace, hope, love: With peace comes hope that ultimately leads to love. 

Breathe, smile, live: Take the time to breathe, release stress and smile as I live my best life. 

Now, I will say I was amused by the fact that each trio shared the same suffix or reigned as a single syllable word. However, my favorite realization was seeing the stepping stone each word provided the other. Finally, it does not escape me that the number of words and their powerful meaning created great thoughts to start off the year. Words and numbers hold a special meaning for each of us. It is all in the way we choose to embrace them. 

As an avid reader, to me a new year is a new chapter in the book of life. Make yours that book you never want to end. Enjoy the twists, turns, and wonders of each new page. Don’t let life be that book you are just trying to get through. If it is, then take this opportunity to grab 2022 by its freshly adorned wings and make a plan to soar to new heights. 

Happy New Year!

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Kathleen Palmieri

Kathleen Palmieri is a National Board Certified Teacher, a National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Learning Facilitator, and a fifth grade educator in upstate New York. She reviews professional texts and writes education articles for Middleweb. As a writer with a passion for pedagogy, Kathleen's focus is on education practices and strategies, as well as her own experiences as an educator. She has presented at math conferences, writing workshops, actively collaborates in literacy projects, and networks globally. 
KathleenPalmieri.com