2020 Word of the Year: Grow

Many years ago, I began choosing a single word to guide me through my year's goals and dreams.  While I still set my large goals for the year (similar to New Year's Resolutions) and create a vision board along with action boards to break down the large goals, I find that I can often include all of my goals, in some way, within one single word or theme.  In 2018, I chose the word Mindful.  Last year, I chose Healing.  This year, my 2020 Word of the Year is:  GROW

 How did I choose my word or theme of the year for 2020

Choosing a word or theme of the year involves answering a few basic questions.
  

What was missing from my life in 2019?

What does my life need more of in 2020? 

What goals do I prioritize higher than the rest in 2020?

 What is a one word resolution to guide me in meeting my goals this year? 

I have selected the word GROW for the New Year.

Why have I chosen to make Grow my 2020 Word of the Year? 

2018 and 2019 were painful years for me--physically, emotionally and spiritually--in most areas of my life.   Physically, I had some health issues linger and some new ones join the party.  Emotionally, I had struggled with some relationship issues that came to a boiling point over the 2018 holidays and were no longer able to be left to "get better" on their own.  Combine that with the emotional/mental strain of illness and a total loss of self--and, I think it is fairly safe to say that 2019 found me broken.  Spiritually, my life needed a total re-boot.  Faith that was already on life support was tested for a couple of years--again and again.   I needed to heal my relationships, my heart, my soul and my life.  

Healing was my word for 2019.  While I did a lot of healing--I am still recovering from wounds.  Healing is a tough, on-going process!

I survived a few tough years.  Sometimes I felt barely alive.  
Barely surviving--and certainly never thriving!  

2020 is a new year--and I am going into this new year a much different person than the person I was this time last year.  

The last year has taught me a lot about life--and a lot about myself.

Rather than seeing it as "starting over" (again)--I see the upcoming year as an opportunity to grow as a person and continue to become who I need to be.  It is time to learn new things, express and share things that have been tucked away.  It is time to rediscover things that were lost and grow from and through those discoveries.

 

2019 was a year of realization and of acceptance.

Sometimes, I think we must hit "rock bottom" before we give ourselves permission to make a climb.  

Sometimes, reality has to really knock us down to rock bottom before we clearly see where we are in our lives.

I am not where I want to be in my life--and only I can make the changes necessary to grow and move my life in a more positive, upward direction.

It is time to grow beyond my present reality, let go of the past--and grow from the person I am today into the best person I can become.

Somewhere, sometime along the way--I stopped growing.

I stopped dreaming.

I stopped looking in the mirror. 

I stopped existing as a being beyond wife and mother.

I gave up on myself.

In 2020--I have given myself permission to wake up and grow again.

No matter how slowly I GROW-I am not stopping this time.

What am I waiting for?
Once upon a time--I had goals and dreams.

I had my own goals and dreams.

No more watching and waiting from the sidelines.

 
It is time to break out of my self-imposed shell.

It is time to GROW into the person I know I can become.

Most of us have demons in our pasts.  Closet skeletons and memories we would rather forget.  

I can't go back and change the past.

I can wake up on a new day and create a brand new ending of my life story.

I can GROW into the person I know I can become.

Have you chosen a word of the year? 

 We would love for your to share your word--or your most desired resolution!  

Have a wonderful and prosperous New Year!