For the last few years, I’ve chosen a word or theme to be a grounding guide as I head through the year. Last year the word was SURRENDER. But as 2020 began to approach its end, I started to become aware of what was coming up around me and being present. That word was:
Thrive
- grow or develop well or vigorously;
- flourish
I started hearing and reading this word often around the end of November, and its constant appearance brought it into my thoughts more often. After a year where we all began with big vision, goals, and were bound to make it our year, but faced the reality of needing to pivot and focus on survival, to be in a mindset of thriving rather than surviving felt aligned with where I see myself, my clients, my community and my friends and family heading into this year.
And while I have a vision and goals I want to reach, as I do every year, my intention behind a year of thriving is that it gets to be bigger than myself. The projects I work on and content I create get to help my clients thrive in their business. Which in effect helps them thrive in their personal lives and also helps their clients and customers thrive. And that cyclical journey continues.
It’s a thought of how can I thrive as a leader in my community, so we can raise one another up and support one another, building up more leaders who get to thrive. But also, how can I lead by example to be an advocate for the causes that are important to me, to bring light to them, and to help their mission thrive.
I want to see us all thrive. Envisioning this as the reality for 2021 is a driving force to continue to move forward and create.
Some ways you and I can do this:
- Shop small and shop local. We saw more of a push for this in 2020, especially in the holiday season, but this gets to be our normal. Our constant. The support of local businesses helps our friends and neighbors and our local communities. Investing locally and in one another comes back to us in unexpected ways.
- Eat local. Not only should we shop local, but we can nourish our bodies locally too by supporting locally owned and run restaurants that bring us unique flavors and a healthier option than most fast food places. But not just restaurants, farmers too! Purchasing crops from local farmers to make meals at home helps our local farmers thrive and our bodies and health thrive by eating quality foods.
- Get involved. Whether it is financially supporting a cause near and dear to your heart where you can, putting in volunteer hours, joining a board or committee, or speaking more openly about your stance on a topic we get to advocate for a better tomorrow. We can help cancer research thrive to save lives. We can be creative on how to provide more opportunities for children in low-income areas. The possibilities are endless.
- Share your passion. Your passion creates a spark and joy inside of you! And friend, that spark and joy are contagious! When we experience and share our passions we open up more opportunities to be creative and have fun. So don’t hide your light – we need to see more of it!
- Show up in kindness. Enough said. Kindness first, and throw it around like confetti!
- Put in the work! Ok, this one is self-explanatory, but to thrive we need to be willing to show up and put in the work. This is true for running a business, living healthier, making time for our families, and anything we want to achieve. Going into anything half-heartedly won’t allow for thriving.
But okay, let’s get personal. A few personal commitments I have to thrive:
- This will be a year of thriving in my health. I’m putting more focus on better nourishing and caring for my body so it can thrive in the years to come.
- This will be a year where my ideas thrive. I have LOTS of them! And this year I will play, experiment, and stop letting fear and insecurities I may have suffocate these ideas.
- This will be a year where I thrive as a leader in my industry. I will not belittle my value or worth or my experience and knowledge. And I will more openly share with others my journey.
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