Feeling Good

Happy New Year!

It’s still quiet in my house as everyone else sleeps in. I love waking up with a song lyric in my head that serves as a writing prompt. Here I am… quietly by the Christmas tree that’s still lit and sparkling, with hot coffee in my new glitter mug, laptop open, and writing my first blog of 2020.

2020 was… cue the Jeopardy theme song as I try to find the right word…

UNPREDICTABLE…Yeah, I’ll go with that.

A year ago, we had no idea what the year ahead would hold. Much like right now. But what we were handed was also… what shall I say… DIFFERENT than anything we could have predicted.

2020 handed us a lot of challenges and may came by way of curve ball… but if you’re reading this, you survived, literally and figuratively. I don’t write that lightly. As of this morning, 346,000 people in the United States (1.82 million in the world) aren’t waking up to a new day due to COVID-19. I don’t need to debate the numbers, the virus, or its impact. I’m just thankful that I am… that those I love are… that those reading this are… currently here, healthy, and able to walk boldly into 2021.

As I was ushering out 2020, I took stock of what I wanted to keep. I want to hold on to my new love, family game nights, more home cooked meals, and kiddo couch cuddles. I want to remain ever-present and fully engaged with my daughters as they continue to grow, learn, and mature into incredible, strong, and brilliant young women. I want to meet more of my neighbors, continue our community rock garden, and make more freezer jam and pickled vegetables. I want to keep writing. I want to keep photographing people, places, and things that intrigue me. I want to keep reading for pleasure.

Since I’m assuming that I didn’t achieve maximum new year’s resolution execution abilities overnight, I won’t be making a long list of new year’s resolutions. Instead, I’ll continue with my word(s) of the year.

2020’s word was “Boundaries”—which is now mildly funny given so much of the year was defined by where I could (or couldn’t) go, who I should (or shouldn’t) be around, and what I must (or must not) do.

That said, my 2021 words are: INTENTION, COURAGE, GROWTH

Threes have always served me well. I have my Trifecta—my three beautiful daughters. In numerology, this is a “3” year for me. And, I’ve always believed things happen in threes. So why not three words for 2021?

INTENTION
A former student intern is killing it—in life, in love, on Instagram—and she inspires the hell out of me. She has influenced my choice of this word selection for 2021 because she’s constantly reminding me (and her other followers) that what we want… what I want… it’s all up to me. I just have to do it! We all have 24 hours in a day, but how we chose to spend them is critical. Everything is a choice… EVERYTHING! How do I wish to spend my time, my money, my creativity? Those choices– day in and day out, big and small– they determine what I achieve. They determine my happiness. So, with everything in 2021, I will live with intention!

COURAGE
Ahhhh, being afraid but doing it anyway. I’ve always loved the question, “What would you do if you weren’t afraid to fail?” So, in 2021, I’m going to try to find out. Fear holds us back in so many ways. It is that negative voice in our head that says, “You can’t do it.” Often, the voice is so loud that we don’t even try, or we find reason to procrastinate, to avoid, to distract.

I need to grow, here I could be
Closer to light, closer to me
Don’t have to do this perfectly
Today
Today

Lyrics from “Courage” by P!nk

GROWTH
Thank you P!nk for that segue, and for reminding me that I “don’t have to do this perfectly.” Growth is hard work, but so necessary. In 2021, I’m choosing (with intention and courage) to not only welcome, but also to appreciate the lessons and learning, the failing forward, and the hiccups and high-fives that life offers. I want to be the best version of me, on this New Year’s Day and all year long… year after year after year. But that doesn’t come with stagnation. So here goes, let’s grow!

While I started this blog with a T. Swizzle lyric, that wasn’t the lyric in my head when I woke.

This one was…

Sleep in peace when day is done, that’s what I mean
And this old world, is a new world
And a bold world for me, yeah-yeah
Stars when you shine, you know how I feel
Scent of the pine, you know how I feel
Oh, freedom is mine
And I know how I feel
It’s a new dawn
It’s a new day
It’s a new life for me
I’m feeling good

Lyrics from “Felling Good” by Nina Simone

Cheers to a bold world, with stars that shine, the scent of pine, where freedom is mine… I AM feeling good. Really good. I hope you are too.