There are tough years and there are tougher years! There are those that wreak havoc on our lives and break us and then there are those that break us but also pull us up on our feet to make us stronger. For me, 2024 turned out to be the latter kind.
Last year, I was eager to see a couple of my plans in action. I had already set my priorities in place even before the year had dawned. All that remained was implementation. But, as the months began to roll, it seemed life had other plans. A tumultuous course of events at home derailed our best laid efforts. Rather unfortunately, these had a bearing on the collective health of the family and they took a massive toll on my own emotional well being and my mother’s physical health, leading to illness and hospitalisation!
But, on the flip side, the challenges of 2024 reshaped me profoundly—teaching me resilience, helping me shift my priorities, making me realise that I needed extra help and support even though I had ample reserves of will power and inner strength.
It was a year of growth through adversity, altering my perspectives on family, relationships, boundaries—you name it. In short, there were a lot many life-lessons packed within the course of that one year, that I never would have imagined!
There were days when I had an overwhelming feeling that time was running out —that I may never get around to doing all that my heart yearned to do! At other times, I was chiding/blaming myself for not doing enough with my time—not productive enough, or efficient enough, or even good enough. You know how it goes, right? That was definitely NOT my space to be in.
So, come December, when I started thinking of my Word of the Year, a few thoughts crossed my mind:
I’ve always enjoyed ‘being’ who I am, but my goals have always been about ‘doing’ more and more. After all, having reached a point where I enjoy being comfortable in my own skin, I also have a better understanding of my limits and limitations.
That was when I thought I need to pivot—from ‘doing’ to ‘being’.
I wish to work on shifting my focus from ‘constant action’ to prove my worth and start cultivating presence and connection—with myself first and then, the world around me. A critical part of the process, also implies cutting myself off from many of the people, situations and things that no longer hold significance or value anymore.
Why does this resonate?
Firstly, I always wanted to move away from focusing on achievement, and instead put the spotlight on authenticity—embracing who I am, not what I was going to accomplish! This year will be a great reminder to do that consciously.
In a world that glorifies busyness, ‘being’ to me seems to encourage mindfulness—fully experiencing moments rather than rushing through them or chasing what’s next.
I guess when you realise that life is uncertain, and you never know how long you’re going to be around, creating a space to reflect, recharge, and be intentional makes so much sense! My goal will be to stay as far away as possible from competition, burnouts and self-sabotage, as we all know how counter-productive these are, to inner growth and healing.
In our most authentic versions, we are best equipped to create deeper and more meaningful connections with others, and with nothing to lose in a world that sees us just as we are, we can easily navigate the ups and downs of life with grace and steadiness, rather than reactive urgency.
I have a strong belief that my #WOTY will grant me the gift of presence, purpose, and alignment with everything that promises to make life more meaningful. That alone is enough reason to believe in ‘being’ true to who I am.
It will be interesting to see how things will emerge over the course of the year, but, as I said earlier, I’m not in competition with anything or anyone. Serendipity will lead me on!
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Enough said about my #woty!. Have you chosen yours? I’d love to hear about your word and especially how you came upon it. I’d love to see you leave your thoughts and comments below if this has resonated with you and another request—please do leave the link to your #woty post, in case you’ve shared yours already…I’d love to read yours too.
Stay blessed and wish you an amazing weekend!