{"id":6196,"date":"2025-10-18T06:32:43","date_gmt":"2025-10-18T06:32:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/2025\/01\/07\/write-of-passage-be-bold-i-double-dog-dare-you\/"},"modified":"2025-10-18T06:32:43","modified_gmt":"2025-10-18T06:32:43","slug":"write-of-passage-be-bold-i-double-dog-dare-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/2025\/10\/18\/write-of-passage-be-bold-i-double-dog-dare-you\/","title":{"rendered":"Write of Passage: Be Bold, I Double Dog Dare You"},"content":{"rendered":"<!--[if lt IE 9]><script>document.createElement('audio');<\/script><![endif]-->\n<audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-6196-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/api.substack.com\/feed\/podcast\/154181744\/0d7d92fc0ca3a0d526d2cd55bdd525bc.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/api.substack.com\/feed\/podcast\/154181744\/0d7d92fc0ca3a0d526d2cd55bdd525bc.mp3\">https:\/\/api.substack.com\/feed\/podcast\/154181744\/0d7d92fc0ca3a0d526d2cd55bdd525bc.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n<p>For the past five years, I\u2019ve embraced the practice of choosing a word to frame my year. The selection serves as a calling card, a guiding principle to reflect upon and shape my actions and mindset.<\/p><div id=\"vanes-2245704684\" class=\"vanes-content vanes-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 2px;margin-right: 2px;margin-bottom: 2px;margin-left: 2px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/fireswordandsea.htm\" aria-label=\"Fire Sword &amp; Sea\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/FireSwordSea_HC-scaled.jpg?fit=1706%2C2560&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Fire Sword &amp; Sea\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/FireSwordSea_HC-scaled.jpg?w=1706&ssl=1 1706w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/FireSwordSea_HC-scaled.jpg?resize=200%2C300&ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/FireSwordSea_HC-scaled.jpg?resize=683%2C1024&ssl=1 683w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/FireSwordSea_HC-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C1152&ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/FireSwordSea_HC-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C1536&ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/FireSwordSea_HC-scaled.jpg?resize=1365%2C2048&ssl=1 1365w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/FireSwordSea_HC-scaled.jpg?w=1280&ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" width=\"569\" height=\"853\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>My husband suggested tuna. Yes, you heard me\u2014tuna. Lord bless him. He\u2019s cute and a keeper, but tuna? Wanting to be gutted and stuffed in a metal tin is not what I want on 2025\u2019s bingo card.<\/p>\n<p>My previous words have included:<\/p>\n<p>* <strong>Bold<\/strong>: A year of stepping out of my comfort zone.<\/p>\n<p>* <strong>Happiness<\/strong>: A focus on joy and gratitude.<\/p>\n<p>* <strong>Peace<\/strong>: Seeking tranquility and balance.<\/p>\n<p>* <strong>Yes<\/strong>: Inspired by Shonda Rhimes\u2019 <em>Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand in the Sun, and Be Your Own Person,<\/em> I committed to saying yes to new opportunities and challenges.<\/p>\n<p>Shonda says, \u201cThe most important thing you can do is to keep saying yes. Saying yes opened up my life in ways I could never have predicted. It was a powerful force.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The \u201cyes\u201d opportunities, even those that feel outside our comfort zones, can lead to transformation and success beyond our wildest dreams. I\u2019m a writer. I love wild, unimaginable dreams.<\/p>\n<p>My <em>Year of Yes<\/em> was 2019. Despite my skepticism and hesitation, I said yes to some things that ended up changing the trajectory of my career. I began dabbling in and studying mystery and suspense, saying yes to writing new genres and new POVs.<\/p>\n<p>I wrote the big book, <em>Island Queen,<\/em> that I never thought would be contracted or published. The power of yes and being open is unmatched. Could 2025 be a repeat <em>Year of Yes<\/em>?<\/p>\n<p>Well, yes and no. I\u2019m in a different place\u2014mentally, physically, even spiritually. My faith is strong, but I feel loss so deeply. I can\u2019t put my finger on it, nor is it just one thing\u2014but it\u2019s gone.<\/p>\n<p>Part of that feeling comes from what I witnessed. Last year unveiled sides of humanity I didn\u2019t want to see. People who should be natural allies were torn apart by self-interest or self-hate. The reality of progress, which I once believed to be within reach, now feels like an illusion. We are not our brothers\u2019 or sisters\u2019 keepers\u2014not when eggs are $9.00. Or when I wrongfully believe that helping another living, breathing soul somehow takes from me.<\/p>\n<p>2025, you had me screaming into the void, only for it to suck away the sound. My tears can\u2019t be heard. I need a word that will pull me away from the void\u2014the endless hole called cynicism. I need it to help me rebuild.<\/p>\n<p>I know I\u2019m not alone in this. My closest friends and I still gather to discuss, pray, and believe for something better. Yet, the weariness persists, and I can see myself calling out, \u201cPrayers, prayers, sorrows,\u201d for everything outside my circle.<\/p>\n<p>I need a new word. I take comfort in knowing that finding a word for inspiration is an exercise as old as time.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Historical Timeline of Setting Yearly Intentions<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>* <strong>Babylonian Origins (~2000 BCE)<\/strong>: The Babylonians made promises to their gods to do good deeds, seeking favor for the coming year.<\/p>\n<p>* <strong>Roman Influence (46 BCE)<\/strong>: With the Julian calendar, Romans made resolutions on January 1, with promises of improvement and good moral conduct.<\/p>\n<p>* <strong>Peacock Vows (6th\u201315th Century)<\/strong>: In the medieval period, knights participated in the \u201cpeacock vow,\u201d an annual pledge to maintain their chivalric code.<\/p>\n<p>* <strong>Religious Resolutions (~15th Century)<\/strong>: Early Christians were encouraged to reflect on past mistakes and resolve to improve in the new year.<\/p>\n<p>* <strong>Modern Secularization (18th Century)<\/strong>: Under Protestant influence, resolutions began emphasizing personal accountability and self-improvement.<\/p>\n<p>* <strong>The Akan People and Adinkra Symbols (~19th Century\u20131818)<\/strong>: The Akan people of West Africa chose Adinkra symbols to guide them for the year, such as:<\/p>\n<p>* Nkyinkyim (initiative\/dynamism)<\/p>\n<p>* Eban (protection\/security)<\/p>\n<p>* <strong>Victorian Era (19th Century)<\/strong>: Making New Year\u2019s resolutions became a widespread practice in Western culture.<\/p>\n<p>* <strong>Germany\u2019s Word of the Year (1971)<\/strong>: The <em>Gesellschaft f\u00fcr deutsche Sprache<\/em> (Society for the German Language) selects a \u201cWord of the Year\u201d to reflect social and cultural trends. For 2024, they chose \u201cAmpel-Aus\u201d or \u201ctraffic light shutdown,\u201d referencing Germany\u2019s coalition collapse.<\/p>\n<p>* <strong>Self-Help Movement (1980s\u20131990s)<\/strong>: Choosing a word at the beginning of the year gained popularity, encouraging focus on a single concept to guide actions.<\/p>\n<p>* <strong>Modern Popularity (2000s+)<\/strong>: Mindfulness and productivity proponents like Gretchen Rubin (author of <em>The Happiness Project<\/em>) spread the idea of guiding words over traditional resolutions.<\/p>\n<p>* <strong>One Word Movement (2010)<\/strong>: The book, <em>One Word That Will Change Your Life<\/em> by Jon Gordon, Dan Britton, and Jimmy Page, brought global attention to the concept.<\/p>\n<p>So, from a historical perspective\u2014whether inspired by faith, adventure, the need to organize, or focus\u2014we\u2019ve all been searching for a word to help us get our acts together.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s still hard. Disappointment and fear make us want to stand still and watch the world burn. In Isaiah 40:31, the text speaks to a desire for the Lord to renew our hope. I want hope. I want to feel it and again soar on wings like eagles. I want to run and not grow weary. I want to laugh and not fear what comes next.<\/p>\n<p><p>Thanks for reading Vanessa Riley&#8217;s Substack! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, says, \u201cThe most important thing we can all do for ourselves is leave room for magic.\u201d Like Shonda, Meghan encourages us to remain open to the unexpected, the unknown, and make space for magic. Magic leads to hope, and hope leads to the greatest possibilities.<\/p>\n<p>But hope isn\u2019t my word, 2024 took care of that. Hope is a state of being. To me, it\u2019s not an action. It feels passive and implies waiting. Nobody has time for that.<\/p>\n<p><strong>My Word for 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This year, my word is <strong>Dare<\/strong>. According to Webster\u2019s dictionary, &#8220;dare&#8221; means to have the courage to do something or to challenge oneself. I chose this word because it encapsulates my desire to:<\/p>\n<p>* Double-dare myself to face fears and doubts.<\/p>\n<p>* Stretch beyond the boundaries I\u2019ve grown comfortable within.<\/p>\n<p>* Embrace risks that could lead to transformative growth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Daring Myself to Do<\/strong>As I step into 2025, I dare myself to flee apathy. I dare myself to let my deeds shine brighter, to be bigger and bolder than ever before. This year, I will embrace more risks, more words, more watching, more praying\u2014all while holding onto hope. At times, I will rest, so I can rise with renewed strength. The fire within me hasn\u2019t been extinguished. It still smolders. It burns for you and for me\u2014for what we could become.<\/p>\n<p>In these uncertain times, with bombings, terrorism, and tariffs on the horizon, I\u2019ve chosen to take control of my personal narrative. Writing about strong women who overcome extraordinary challenges reminds me that I, too, can dare to be bold, dare to be resilient, and dare to be fully myself.<\/p>\n<p>I encourage you to choose your word. Let it be a balm for your soul. Make it your battle cry to achieve something greater\u2014even in moments of disillusionment. I dare you. I double dog dare you to win\u2014for yourself and those you hold dear.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>Books Mentioned in this Podcast:<\/p>\n<p><em>Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand in the Sun, and Be Your Own Person <\/em>by Shonda Rhimes<\/p>\n<p><em>The Happiness Project <\/em>by Gretchen Rubin<\/p>\n<p><em>That Will Change Your Life<\/em> by Jon Gordon, Dan Britton, and Jimmy Page<\/p>\n<p><em>Island Queen<\/em> by Vanessa Riley<\/p>\n<p>This is a public episode. If you&#8217;d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href=\"https:\/\/vanessariley.substack.com\/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#038;utm_campaign=CTA_2\">vanessariley.substack.com\/subscribe<\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"rop\"><small>Originally posted 2025-01-07 15:07:16. <\/small><\/p><div id=\"vanes-235865215\" class=\"vanes-after-content vanes-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 3px;margin-right: 3px;margin-bottom: 3px;margin-left: 3px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/SubstackAd.png?fit=1080%2C1350&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Listen to the Write of Passage Weekly Podcast\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/SubstackAd.png?w=1080&ssl=1 1080w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/SubstackAd.png?resize=240%2C300&ssl=1 240w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/SubstackAd.png?resize=819%2C1024&ssl=1 819w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/SubstackAd.png?resize=768%2C960&ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" width=\"540\" height=\"675\"   \/><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For the past five years, I\u2019ve embraced the practice of choosing a word to frame my year. The selection serves as a calling card, a guiding principle to reflect upon and shape my actions and mindset. My husband suggested tuna. Yes, you heard me\u2014tuna. Lord bless him. He\u2019s cute and a keeper, but tuna? Wanting [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6225,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[81,793,9,620,756,694],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6196","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-personal-stories","category-politics","category-recommended-reading","category-syndication","category-technology","category-tv-and-film"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/d5c1e17bb7234ee7b5210aea03d6b6e5-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C2106&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6196","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6196"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6196\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6225"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6196"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6196"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6196"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}