Last year was the first year I chose a word of the year. This word was screaming at me so it felt pretty obvious. My “word” for last year was “intentional”. Since COVID I had spent a lot of time Just getting by. Feeling numb and just doing what needed to be done. Nothing extra. Spending time in the quiet, analyzing my life and what I wanted for both myself and my family for 2023, helped me come up with my “word”.
You see, I’m a respiratory therapist. If COVID was a war, I would have been on the front lines right beside doctors and nurses. It’s one thing to be a health care professional and have an education to know how to help and care for people who are sick. It’s a whole other feeling when you are the one tasked with trying to save patients when no one knows how. When doctors are looking to you when they have a patient who is struggling to breathe and they don’t know what to do because none of us have ever faced anything like this before. It was scary and defeating to say the least.
With any other lung disease I was able to ride in on my figurative horse, pull the paitent out of the clutches of respiratory failure, and save the day. I knew what to do with patients similar to COVID patients, but it didn’t always work. That was really hard. It’s really hard to have it happen every once in awhile, but with COVID it happened often. I live in a small town so many times it was someone I knew or someone who knew my parents or family. It was draining.
Life after COVID
More than ever in my life I needed to snap out of it! Focus on what’s important and stop being numb. When you get hurt or traumatized you are scared to feel. Kids and husbands need us to feel. Being intentional with all aspects of my life in 2023 was a turning point for me. I will continue to use this word and strive to be intentional because of the profound effect it has had on me and my family this past year. It’s weird when you are going through depression and you are disconnected. You don’t fully realize that you are until you’re not. So for this year My word is going to be THRIVE. What better follow-up word could there be? Right? I’m going to continue to be intentional and make sure I thrive in certain areas. Mental, spiritual,emotional, and physical health.
When I was trying to think of my word for this year I did a few things that help me come up with the perfect word.
- It applies to more than one area of my life. Just like intentional. I’m not limited to one resolution like “fitness” or “wealth”.
- As I was going about my day to day activites I thought about how I wanted this new year to go. How I wanted to feel when it was over. I listed in my head a few words. I sat on my front porch in the quiet all by myself for a few minutes and the word strength came to mind the most. Mental, physical, emotional, spiritual. I want all of those things in 2024 for me and my family.
- Just when I thought I would post that my word of the year was strength, a cousin of mine posted on facebook a survey you could take to help you decide what word you should pick for the new year. I will link it HERE fo you.
I think Thrive is all encompassing. We are not just going to live this year, we are going to thrive.
Ok, so most days will be a lot like a grind for the most part. But each day I will carve out some time to thrive. I have to! It’s my word of the year after all! And you guys are going to show up on social media and help remind me when I fall flat. I will do the same for you. I will be your cheerleader when you don’t want one. Try not to tap through my stories too quickly on those days when you do not want to be bothered. You won’t regret it.
You might regret it. no promises. BUT WHAT IF YOU DON’T! Let yourself be motivated. Remember, when you are doing something you know is good for you like exercise, reading the bible, making yourself a better version of you, and feel a pull or nag to quit or give up or you just don’t feel like it. That is either self sabatoge or the evil one. Or both. Keep going. Don’t give up. Your wirth it. Say a prayer for strength and guidance and power through.
Happy New years guys! leave your word of the year in the comments section.
Check out the planner I’m using this year. It’s under $15 on amazon!
I‘m using these pens to help organize everyone’s schedule in one planner