Word for the Year: 2021

For the past decade or so, I have chosen a word (or sometimes a mantra) for the coming year. It’s one more way of setting an intention and declaring it to the Universe. Energetically, it serves as a shorthand reminder of your current goals and dreams. I like words that are open to multiple interpretations.

For 2019, my mantra was “Actually, I can”. I started the year with two disabilities and one small art business as a side hustle. In May, I found myself inspired to help other women in midlife break free of the boxes they find themselves in. In July, my business was born, and Actually-I-Can, Inc came into being.

For 2020, my word for the year was EASE. I would laugh myself silly over that, given the global pandemic, but in many ways, that intention worked for me. I remained consistent with my efforts and offerings in the business—no “grind” or “hustle”, thanks.

I also had two mantras this year: “let it be easy”, which was as much about allowing things to be simple or come easily as it was about trusting in the Universe; and “show up”, which was about visibility. I can see where I did and didn’t follow that advice, but I’ve been consistent in showing up in my business and about not pushing, but allowing. Overall, those mantras worked.

When it comes to the word “ease", I meant it in multiple ways. Wanting to allow things to be easy; wanting to live a life of ease; wanting to keep things simple for myself. It turns out that it worked, even if it was sometimes hard to see. For instance, I had a pretty serious health scare early in the year, which resulted in endoscopic surgery to remove some adenoma from my duodenum (I know: WHAT?).

I spent my 56th birthday in the hospital. It doesn’t sound like ease, or like allowing things to be easy. But the fact of the matter is, my surgery proceeded despite most things being canceled due to COVID restrictions (because it was deemed necessary, not optional), and in the end, we caught it before it could turn to cancer. A follow-up procedure in September found a bit more adenoma that needed clean-up, but again, all benign. Maybe that was easy after all.

Morris had bilateral knee replacement in July of this year. He spent three days in hospital due to a minor complication after surgery (not unusual when a person gets BOTH knees done at the same time), but his care was superb. So was his physical therapy and recovery. So yes, things were difficult and awful, but his recovery was remarkable. And thanks to all the places he taught being closed due to COVID, he didn’t have to miss a month of tai chi and qigong classes or find subs to replace him. Maybe it was easy after all.

So while things weren’t always easy in the strictest sense of the word, they all resolved well. And in 2020, I consider that good enough to constitute “ease.”

Which brings me to my word for 2021

While I haven’t yet figured out if I will have a mantra for next year, or what it might be, I found my word for 2021 on Saturday morning, while sitting on our patio in the cold sunshine.

For days, I had been searching for just the right word. I kept considering the word COURAGE. In part I was thinking of one of my favorite quotes from Brené Brown, from I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn’t):

Courage is a heart word. The root of the word courage is cor - the Latin word for heart. In one of its earliest forms, the word courage meant "To speak one's mind by telling all one's heart." Over time, this definition has changed, and today, we typically associate courage with heroic and brave deeds. But in my opinion, this definition fails to recognize the inner strength and level of commitment required for us to actually speak honestly and openly about who we are and about our experiences—good and bad. Speaking from our hearts is what I think of as "ordinary courage.”

You see, I know that I need to continue to work to “show up” (a 2020 mantra). I need to do things that aren’t within my comfort zone. But I know that when it comes to life, if you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.

For me to grow Actually-I-Can, Inc as a business, I need to start expanding my reach. To reach out to others. To grow this business, and myself as well. To do things that are literally outside my comfort zone, such as letting people know what skills I am offering to share, how they can work with me, and so forth. It’s not enough for me to sit quietly at home behind my keyboard creating things and hoping that success will find me. It’s scary, and exciting, and it’s hard to want to do because my comfort zone? It’s really comfortable.

Anyway—I was sitting quietly on the patio, all bundled up in a parka, with my face turned toward the sun. I was listening to the breeze rustling in the ornamental grasses (now dried), and to the chickadees and blue jays calling out.

When the thought “I wonder what my word for 2021 will be” crossed my mind, it was immediately followed by a loud thought: STRETCH. It came like a message from the ether, like inspiration, like a gift. It felt right, in my body. It resonated. And so it is.

I no sooner felt the rightness of the word than I realized that it of course has several meanings. A reminder to stretch myself past my comfort zone in business. A reminder to stretch and move my body. A reminder to grow, to become more of myself.

What about you?

Do you have a word for 2021? If you do, I would love to hear it. Please drop me a comment below to let me know what it is! You can download your own “word of the year” image here. Just print it out and add your word!

If you don’t have one, or don’t have one yet, that’s okay too. It’s not a practice that works for everyone. But if you’d like some help in finding your word, I’d be delighted to hop on a free 30-minute discovery call to see if we can find one for you! Just pop over here to set one up.