New Year, New Word

 January 1, 2022

Three years ago, as I found myself in a place where I was trying to regain my equilibrium from an unexpected end to a relationship, I chose a word to guide my year,  to manifest a an attitude that would guide my way of thinking- a talisman of sorts that I could return to when I needed to remind myself of my purpose. That word was RISE. Like a Phoenix from the ashes,  my focus was to rise and be strong.

The next year, having dragged myself out of the dust, my word was SHINE. One must, of course, rise when one has fallen into despair, but then? It's time to shake off the dust and step into the light of the new you and own it. Shine. That was sometimes difficult, but ultimately empowering. That was the goal, after all.

Then last year, a year of turmoil and uncertainty, I chose the word EXHALE. Politically and socially, the world was a wreck, with a little pandemic thrown in the mix. I had hoped that last January would usher in some much needed change. In some ways it did; in others, it merely magnified some pretty deep fissures in the facade. We are still trying to recover. In the meantime, although I had hoped that EXHALE in Janauary would mean an ability to relax, it turned out that it just meant to remind myself to breathe, in and out, one breath at a time, one step at a time. That's how I got through the year- how we all got through the year.

This year, once again, my word is hopeful, full of promise. The word is FOCUS. There are things I want to see happen, goals and plans I foresee for my future. This year, instead of hoping and just learning to breathe through the chaos, the goal is to focus on those proactive measures I can take to effect the kind of changes I want to make. Rise, shine, exhale, then focus. Seems like a good way to move forward.