My life for the last two weeks has been a warm shower on a cold day: cozy, warm and comforting. One I could stay in forever (and would stay in forever), if the new year wasn’t knocking, reminding me I can’t stay locked up in this coziness forever. It’s time to turn the water off and return to the real world. Not easy to do when everyone’s home. But get out I must and my first order of business is figuring out my word of the year.
I’ve been put off finding a word since the year started – not sure if I wanted one. I’m still recovering from being courageous – last year’s word of the year – and I wanted to make sure I was fully rested. Last year was hard physically and emotionally particularly the last few months when I was so busy that I didn’t have time to catch my breath. Unlike previous years that fatigue didn’t end once the season was over. The new year began and I was still tired.
I tried ignoring it and pushing through but my heart wasn’t in it. Everything was an effort, like I was walking around with huge cement blocks on my feet. Even the thought of doing something was tiring and wore me out. Not a great way to start the year. I needed a mental and physical break and that’s what I did. I took a sabbatical
I spent the last two weeks doing nothing except spending time with my family and vegging. And it was refreshing! It was soo good to be still. Finally, I’m ready to start 2024 – although we’re already two weeks in.
The first item on my agenda: find my word for the year. Choosing a word for the year is something I take very seriously, it’s never haphazard. Some years I struggled with finding just the right word but this year, two automatically popped into my head. Although both are synonyms and either will work, I researched them anyway. The word needs to capture the essence of what I want to focus on this year.
After much deliberation, my word for the year is ‘resilient’. It’s time to move forward and get back into the game. Last year was about facing the unexpected courageously, this year is about pushing forward and recovering. I have no idea what surprises 2024 will have in store. A part of me is curious and excited, but another part is scared. I had a lot of unpleasant surprises last year, what if 2024 has more of the same? That thought frightens, intimidates and overwhelms me. Thoughts are powerful and I can choose to be traumatized by them or move forward and be resilient. I chose to be resilient.