January 5, 2021
Dear Friends,
My one word declaration didn’t go so well this year.
I guess, after all the things learned and experienced in 2020, I just didn’t have it in me this time. So much has changed. The world and our nation have changed. Our way of life has changed.
I have changed.
I did some soul-searching to align my purpose with a present and a future so uncertain. Here were some persevering points in my process this year. These were my thoughts along the way…
After boldly declaring my #OneWord2020 mission to move forward, circling back to measure my forward progress halfway through 2020, and then ending the year in a total freefall, I eventually crashed upon some rocky realizations.
In fact, if I’ve walked away from 2020 having realized, rediscovered, or relearned anything at all, it’s that, ultimately, I have control over absolutely nothing. I am, after all, just one, tiny dot in a universe that truly transcends my understanding.
My personally-projected timeline, with all of its well-intended words, goals, and resolutions, means nothing. If you grip the hourglass so tightly, only to have it slip through your hands and shatter to pieces, how, then, can you harvest those grains to craft meaning and cultivate purpose?
What I had so carefully plotted, planned, and prayed for in 2020 went absolutely… nothing like I had hoped.
And, it’s not even about me.
So, then, with all the certain uncertainty, who am I to confidently carve my path forward? Who am I to boldly bestow upon the world who I think I should be and what I think I should be doing? Who am I to proudly proclaim to others how I perceive my feelings, needs, and wants?
After all, how I perceive myself sometimes differs from how others perceive me. Am I the only one?
And, if we really are “all in this together,” then shouldn’t we be helping each other by mentoring, coaching, guiding, and even choosing our one words, goals, and resolution-worthy areas, together?
Why is this one-word process a one-person act on a one-way street?
I often wonder:
What if you asked others what they thought your one word should be?
So, that’s what I did.
Here’s what they said, and here’s what I’m still learning:
When I want to talk, listen.
When I think I know, zoom out.
When I want it to be about me, make it about others.
When I want to lead so badly, follow.
When I want to trailblaze, include others.
When I want to be independent, embrace interdependence.
When I want to clam up, brave vulnerability.
When I want to clamp down, allow change.
When I’m overwhelmed, balance with priority.
When I can’t fit the pieces together, seek the one who made the puzzle.
When I want to race forward, pause for a pitstop.
When I want to control my forward progress, let go to move forward.
When I can’t trust things, events, and circumstances, trust people.
It’s about people.
Behind all the ingenuity, healthcare statistics, political strife, civil unrest, riots, rallies, and revolutions, there are…
People.
Within all the experiences lived, decisions made, stories told, and events that might unfold, there are…
People.
Circling back through every great memory, milestone, benchmark, and success, there are…
People.
Persevering through every vulnerable moment, heartache, trial, tribulation, regret, and life-changing trajectory, there are…
People.
When navigating through anything at all, there are people.
Whatever it is, it’s not really about it. It’s about people.
Therefore, let us proudly proclaim and boldly bestow upon the world our passionate pursuit to become better in connecting.
With people.
Together.
