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The Words We're Ready to Release
This quiet space between Christmas and the New Year is one of my favorites.
The decorations are still glowing, the music is softer now, and something in us begins to exhale. We're no longer rushing toward a holiday, we're standing at the threshold of what comes next.
And whether we realize it or not, this is often when we start talking to ourselves a little more honestly.
Sometimes kindly. Sometimes… not so kindly.
As we prepare for our annual Burning Bowl Service this Sunday, I've been reflecting on how much of our “letting go” doesn't start with habits, situations, or even relationships, but with language. The words we use about ourselves. The stories we repeat. The labels we've carried so long they feel like facts.
Language is powerful. In Unity, we understand that our thoughts shape our words, and our words shape our experience. So releasing what no longer serves us can begin in a surprisingly simple place: how we speak—especially to ourselves.
For example, how often do we say, “I'm stressed”, without noticing that we're declaring stress as an identity rather than a moment? What if, instead, we recognized that stress can also be the body preparing us to meet a challenge? Same sensation. Different meaning.
Or how about the phrase “I have to”? It carries weight, pressure, and obligation. Compare that with “I get to”—which opens the door to gratitude and choice. The circumstances may not change, but we do.
Sometimes the language we're ready to release sounds like self-criticism:
“I'm bad at this.”
“I'm stuck.”
“I don't belong here.”
Yet with just a slight shift—“I'm still learning,” “I'm pausing to reset,” “I'm learning to
belong”—we move from judgement into growth. From finality into possibility.
Other times, the language that no longer serves us hides behind resignation:
“That's just who I am.”
“This always happens to me.”
“I don't have time.”
These phrases quietly lock doors inside us. They shrink identity. They limit imagination. When we notice them—and gently question them—we reclaim choice. We remember that identity is flexible, learning is ongoing, and priorities reveal more truth than excuses ever could.
What I love about this season is that it doesn't ask us to fix ourselves. It invites us to clear space.
And clearing space doesn't always require dramatic change. Sometimes it's as simple, and as profound, as choosing new words. Words that align with who we are becoming rather than who we've been. Words that bless rather than bind.
As we move toward Sunday, I invite you to listen this week, not just to what you say out loud, but to what you whisper internally. Notice which phrases feel heavy. Which ones feel outdated. Which ones sound like they belong to an older version of you.
You don't have to change them yet. Just notice.
Awareness itself is already a form of release.
And when we release what no longer serves, whether through language, intention, or sacred ritual, we make room. Room for clarity. Room for renewal. Room for something new to be born.
With love and gratitude, Rev. Bobby 
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