Embrace

Although the start of 2022 feels eerily similar to the start of 2021, it’s time for a new word to serve as my touchstone for the coming year. This decision was not easy. I was tempted to choose words like redundant, fatigued, bullcrap, despondent, apathetic, wretched, dismal, jaded, discontented, annoyed, disgruntled …words that reflect being so, so over the latest virus, vaccine debacle, masks, stock market fluctuations, and political tomfooleries…but enough about me!

After much deliberation and reflection, I’ve decided on embrace. Given life as we know it today, the idea of embracing the unknown feels hopeful. I’ve made enough trips around the sun to know there’s no predicting the future; to worry and fret about what might happen seems futile and a colossal waste of time. Besides, there’s so much to embrace. I want to embrace the future with open arms. I want to “embrace each moment as if I had invited it”… Pema Chodron’s words, not mine. I want to embrace uncertainty and welcome new ideas and adventures. I want to embrace the possibility of new career opportunities. I even want to embrace the suck (disappointments, set-backs, missteps, and mistakes).

Embrace is my guiding light for 2022 and you are welcome to remind me of that when I falter. And trust me, I will falter.

What’s your word?