Creating Space … To Choose Your Word

Leading With VOICCE® Series.

Have you ever had someone drop a bomb on you so profound that the silence was deafening? But instinctively, there was wisdom there, so you lean in, ready for what's next?

That was me, and I was sitting in a virtual 1:1 Executive Coaching session with Patrice Borders. She was leading our group of women leaders in an executive leadership experience called Power Squad. She'd already done such an incredible job building rapport with us and across our community. Therefore, when she hit me with the unexpected, I was ready to receive it. "Your EI score [from the Emotional Quotient Inventory Assessment] results indicate that you are lacking in Optimism." She said it with compassion, and just the right touch of professional neutrality. I stared. Blinked. Stared some more.

This may not sound like a big deal, but I was stunned! I am Ms. Find The Silver Lining, if you ask me. I grin through the tough stuff, and on a scale of 1-10 my resilience is 44. I teach yoga, and I meditate. So what do you mean? She guided me through the rest of the discussion, and by the end, I fully understood what she meant. I didn't take immediate action, but I did sit with it. 

Fast forward to 2023, about 2 years after this pivotal discussion. I am now running my own business full-time and doing my best to make a positive impact on others' lives while navigating what it means to embody "balance" as a wellness advocate. While a lot of things were going well, my own mental well-being was not thriving. I was putting a TON of pressure on myself to "get it right". And for the first time since I was 14, I didn't have a steady income. I was struggling. 

"I need Optimism". This message came to me as clear as if it had come through my phone in a text.

You see, I AM resilient, and I HAD done a great job of finding the silver lining when things got tough. But Optimism was different. I was good at navigating when things got hard. But it was HARD for me to believe that things could be good. And that's a big mindset shift. 

Through my studies in neuroscience, coaching, and meditation, I was introduced to the Reticular Activating System (RAS) - the part of the brain that acts like a filter for what we notice and what we ignore.

And here’s the fascinating part: RAS takes its cues directly from the language we use. What we say becomes what we search for. However, this often happens beneath our conscious awareness. 

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This is why identity-based intentions are so powerful. When we choose our language with intention ("I am ___"), our brain begins organizing our attention, energy, and behavior around that identity.

I'd always thought Optimism was inherently part of my identity because I was resilient. But the more I observed, the more I realized that embodying Optimism would require a very intentional shift on my part. This was the first time I took my word of the year and combined it with the creation of a vision board. I had one on my phone and one on my laptop wall. I wanted to see it every day to remember what I was aiming toward. 

The shift didn't happen overnight. But slowly, I became more and more aware of my assumptions, my reactions, and the language I was using to describe myself and my future.

Today, I set a new intention word each year, and I pair it with a visual reminder of what that word means to me, and why it matters. It has become one of the most powerful rituals in how I grow, lead, and reconnect with my own identity.

This is how we shift who we think we are, into who and how we actually want to be. 

When I take this intentional step forward, I move from how I show up now to the Catalyst for Impact and Transformation that I strive to be. 

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Does this resonate? If so, I invite you to join me for one of my favorite experiences of the year: Word Up! 2026 - Craft Your Intention. Align with Your Values. Envision Your Year.

This experience is carefully curated to blend the power of executive coaching, mindful intention setting, and powerful visioning to life so that you can step into 2026 with greater clarity, and unwavering focus.

Thank you for your presence. I am so excited to continue this journey with you!

In gratitude, Tian.

Tian Philson Leadership, Wellness & Mindset Coach | Creator of the VOICCE® Decision Making & Empowerment Framework | Helping leaders go inward so they can go upward.

I am currently enrolling for the VOICCE®Leadership Intensive. A powerful 8-week experience designed to help leaders who are spread too thin move from chaos to clear, calm, confident leadership - at work and at home.