It's that time of year again, time to make resolutions for the next one. Over the years I've found that I'm terrible at resolutions. I'm great for a few weeks, then it all goes south. As a result, many years ago I began selecting one little word that could be my focus for the year. I've had several, some more than others. Here are posts from the past few years:
2012 - Be
2013 - Be
2014 - Balance
2015 - Grace
2016 - Didn't pick one
2017 - Present
2018 - Present
This year I've thought hard about what word to pick. All of the words I've used before are still things I could work on, but today, driving to Starbucks to write, I was praying aloud in the car and a word came to me.
brave
Whatever journey we're on in life, I think it can often feel isolating, alone. No one else is on the same journey. To keep the faith, to keep moving forward, does require bravery. It is far easier to do nothing, to stay on the safe path or the path you are already on.
Today when I reflected aloud, I thought through what the book is that I'm trying to write. While the genre is romance, the book I'm trying to write is one filled with hope, love, empowerment, friendship, community, and possibility. I reflected on all of the times of self doubt that I've had while writing, but how I've tried to dig deep and move through that. It's been tough.
Years ago I found this quote from a speech given by Teddy Roosevelt. I've turned to it, time and time again, when my inner editor (the evil Helga), has returned; or when folks ask me why I would try to write when I could just teach.
So, to keep me moving forward, to finish this book, to find my best self in 2019, to remind me to move forward even in the face of doubt, I'm picking brave as my one little word. When I want to give up, I'm going to be brave. I'm going to remind myself that when you're in the arena you experience victory and defeat, but that's what makes this life worth living, and it's going to be ok.
How about you? Are you making any resolutions for 2019? Or are you picking a word to focus on? If so, please share. Wishing you the best in this new year.
