Many years ago, when my kids were all home and I was teaching full time, days were busy. There was always so much to do, and time was at a premium. One day, on a whim, I said we needed a word for the year, a reminder to keep things in perspective. The word that came to mind was "flexibility." It was perfect, so perfect that it was our word for a few years as the days just got busier. It mattered that we could change plans as necessary. It made a difference when we went with the flow. Life was more fun when we took advantage of opportunities that weren't part of the original plan.
Then there were years that "simplicity" was front and center. As kids started leaving for college and life started going in too many directions, I looked for ways to simplify. Paring down some days to what was most important made it possible to keep going.
The practice of having a specific word for the year was first documented here in 2011. There is a post for each year's word but there hasn't been a complete list in one place until now:
2011 unafraid
2012 possibility
2013 no word presented itself
2014 release
2015 freedom
2016 trust
2017 breathe
2018 acceptance
2019 joy
2020 create
And this brings me to the word for this year, which I have examined from every angle and considered every synonym. It can't be any other word. Nothing else fits.
My word for 2021 is "restore." It doesn't refer to anything external. It is all about how I feel and think about myself from the inside. I want to feel like myself again. I know that I have changed in the last year, much of it due to forces outside my control. I'm sure that contributes to feeling off balance. I want to find my footing from where I am now.
I want to feel confident and capable again.
I don't know how to make that happen. Maybe putting it out to the universe will start the wheels turning.
