my word of the year...

intention & abundance

my screensaver for 2025

I started having a word of the year going into 2021 and haven’t looked back since because I never really liked resolutions. I would make them, not stick to them & then you just end up feeling down because it didn’t happen.

I truly believe that when you put your word, theme or vision out into the universe, write it down, pray to God or whoever you believe in, you intentionally & unknowingly live in that word. Sometimes it would hit me in different moments throughout each year like yep, that’s it…I’m living in my word.

My words from past years…

2021: passion

Quit my dream job at Team Epiphany to live & work in my passion full time. If you’ve been following me for awhile then you may know that I started my food blog ‘Just Add Hot Sauce’ in 2017 but things really took off for me in 2020 during the pandemic stay at home order. 2021, I decided to take the leap of faith and my passion started landing me opportunities and my first paid partnership of $500 lol! I said wowwwwwwww, I can make money off cooking on the internet!? It was only up from there…passion

2022: purpose

Left my long term relationship & moved to LA. I not just lived & worked in my word but every little thing had a purpose, even the seemingly negative things because the amount of growth in 2022 (shit and 2023) was painful but so necessary. I was absolutely supposed to move back to DC to end that relationship. I had to see if we were really meant to be & sometimes you just gotta do things to see, because I went kicking & screaming back to DC lol. LA was never, I mean NEVER a thought in my mind. I was going to take my ass back to NYC or move to ATL (lol I love Atlanta) but someone who will always be special to me for putting the thought in my head, because they thought it would be good for my career - and two (ish) years later & loving it…purpose

2023: elevate

I distinctly remember having a convo at Mother Wolf in LA with some friends and they asked what did we want for the new year. I was explaining what I wanted but couldn’t quite find the words and Nikki Lauren said it so perfectly, “you want to elevate.” Boom, that was my word and it happened. Two majors, I went to Essence Festival with Coke as myself, doing what I love. I worked Essence Festival with both my marketing jobs for years and now I was coming back as me…I mean tears. And of course, my cooking show SPICE SPICE BABY debuted on Tastemade in October. This was a life long dream that I still can’t believe happened…elevate

…and 2024 was EXPANSION!

expansion bracelet from little words project

I went into this year excited but also really, really nervous because 2023 was so great for me career wise. I mean a life long dream of having a cooking show came to fruition so when I chose expansion, I was thinking season 2 here we come and so much more!!

When 2024 hit and the months started to roll by, I was remembering certain months (i.e. milestones) thinking, “well this month is when I got the email that the show was happening and this month is when we started to film.” So when those months came and went, I was like omg expansion is not happening for me.

Do I hope to get a season two of the show, ABSOLUTELY but I had to release the hold it had on my mental, like “am I not enough to get a season two?” Whew, therapy helped me a lot this year!

However, my word of the year came to life in other ways than I thought it would and even more…

A little back story in which I may have shared before but I struggle with confrontation. Specifically confrontation when it comes to relationships with men. Ya know, daddy issues. My dad had a pretty bad temper when I was growing up. I still have very vivid images of my parents fighting when I was little so I have a weird relationship with men & anger. So, basically I have struggled with speaking up for myself in relationships.

Around the top of the year, I started dating this guy. He was great, it didn’t last and that’s ok but I remember what he said to me when we had a difficult conversation, “your word of the year is coming true when it comes to speaking up for yourself.”

And crazy enough it was! I was so proud of myself! I mean, I 100% called Loni and burst into tears but I did it lol! Normally, if me and my partner would have a disagreement, I would shut down, not say anything or cry out of frustration/emotion and make absolutely no sense in the conversation. But now, while still a work in progress because baby steps, I take a deep breath and speak up…

Can you say, EXPANSION!

It just wasn’t expansion for me in my personal life but also career wise as well.

I expanded in signing with a new manager that is truly kismet, we’re both Taurus’ and truly can send her a three minute voice note just venting like I've known her forever.

I wrote down at the end of last year that I wanted more lifestyle partnerships and I worked with Fenty & Target to name a few!!

I signed with a literary agent to pursue another life long dream of having a published cookbook! No new updates there, we had some rejection but it only takes one yes!

…and I expanded my newsletter to IRL events with a cooking class, coffee meet ups & even a wellness mat pilates class! I’m expanding by building & leaning into community through my social platform and it truly makes my heart burst.

Expansion…

So, as I go into 2025, my word of the year normally comes to me in ways of talking with friends, a feeling or just seeing a word repeatedly.

Next year, I have two words.

Intention & abundance. In all areas of my life.

I want my life to be so intentional in the way I live…from my home (I’m looking for a new apartment as it has been on my spirit for awhile now), my romantic life (we’re back in our dating era after a little break), my career, my fitness routine…literally everything in my life.

I want to live in abundance. Living in the abundance of love, the joy I have from my friends & family, my love of cooking, stamping my passport, mentally living in abundance that I lack of nothing.

I’m already starting with being intentional with freezing my eggs next month and praying for an abundance of eggs!!

I’m also intentionally working on my relationship with my dad & it’s actually been really nice. Those who are close to me know this is a major thing, like MAJOR but through therapy I’m learning how to see him as a person and not just a dad (because parents are humans with feelings & their own trauma too).

…oh, and I booked a solo trip post egg freeze to Paris because why wait. I mean, I have all those delta points for a reason!!

So, I hope with whatever word you intentionally choose for next year that you are so deeply rooted in it, that when you look up from time to time, you see & feel it all around you.

Until next newsletter & a very merry Christmas.

Xo,

Alex

always, always a word from my girl Jennifer Pauline