My WORDS for 2021

Happy New Year! 2021 is here – fina-freakin-lly. While it feels like most of the internet (or world?) is rejoicing at the change of the year, I’m on the side that’s more cautiously optimistic, simply because the drop of a big shiny ball in Times Square doesn’t actually change anything.

What makes change? 

We do. YOU do.

While there are (and always will be) things that we can’t directly change singlehandedly, there are SO many other things that we can – or that we can start to influence by the summation of our actions and choices every single day.

I know a popular practice for many is to choose a single word of the year to embody for the next 365 days. I get it, I lovelovelove it – I’ve done it many years in the past. But this year, I’m mixing it up with not just one word of the year, but a few – two phrases that I think best represent the changes that I know in my heart most need to take hold for growth.

P.S. Open these in new tabs if you want more inspired reading material to uplift your heart this week…

Your Mess is Your Message

2020 Vision

How to Check in on your Goals & Re-visit your Resolutions

Breathe in…

I can’t control IT, so I can’t let IT control me.

WORD OF THE YEAR - on Coming Up Roses

Less is More.

Less. Is. MORE. I’m admittedly a ~Queen~ at trying to make more mean more (or have been in the past – therapy says be careful about applying “I am” statements to works in progress – ha!). Meaning, I’d overload anything + everything with just too much. My to-do list, my closet, my calendar, my 38 open browser tabs…you name it, it probably had too much on it and in it and everywhere in between.

And this past year, I had enough.

I reached a breaking point. I was stuck in a neverending rat race with no finish line, and I saw so clearly that a more more more mindset was not, in fact, leaving me with more.

It was leaving me with less.

Less peace, less fulfillment, less time for the things that TRULY mattered.

So, time for change. My new Mantra and word of the year is LESS, because LESS can be more, too.

Less clutter, less chaos, less chasing earthly things. Less overload, less overwhelm. Less trying so dang hard to make some things happen on my own, to make room for more Godly wisdom to dictate my path instead.

Which, in the end, brings MORE of the good stuff anyways. 😉 Less is more. So I’m embracing it. My next word of the year (or phrase?) is…

Protect Your Peace.

Another confession…for much of my life – TOO much – I struggled setting good boundaries for my heart. In relationships and friendships, I poured from my cup until it was near-empty, without ensuring my own cup was reciprocally filled. Of course, relationships aren’t meant to be purely transactional – but mine were just off balance too often. I’d find myself giving giving giving aaaaaaand giving some more, and then being metaphorically slapped in the face with a total lack of acknowledgement or appreciation for what I’d give – let alone anything in return (we’re mostly talking giving of time, help, mental energy, etc). 

Beyond that, I was often just letting life control me instead of controlling my own life – as silly as that may sound.

I was always a big planner, sure, but I’d find myself getting derailed by distractions or having other dictate my priorities instead of vice versa. One perceived negative note or frustrating email would get me off course, and I was too impacted by other people’s opinions of me (which, quite frankly, are none of my business).

My peace was shaken. And I admittedly wasn’t allowing true Peace of Christ to override the earthly things that tried to shake and break my peace every single day (which is to be expected – that’s what earthly things do!).

So.

All that to say…my second word of the year – or phrase – is “Protect your Peace.” Because if I’ve learned anything in 2020, it’s that the world will do anything + everything it can to take it.

To destroy it.

And it’s up to us – it’s up to me – to be the protector of my own peace, since no one here is going to do that for me (nor should they!). My peace is my responsibility. And if something is trying to take that away – it’s on me to step up, say no, and protect it.

SO – now I’d lovelovelove to know…

What’s your phrase or word of the year?

Happy New Year, friends. I’m so happy you’re here.