I always hesitate on choosing a word for the year. It can either work out wonderfully or crash and burn terribly. In the past I’ve chosen a word, or words that represented the goals I had for the year.
Last year was a bit of a wash. I didn’t choose a word but if I had it would’ve been SURVIVE. It wound up being my mantra. “I just want to survive one more day. One more week.”
Many things happened last year that made me keep repeating to myself, “just get through today,” which as we all know, is just another way of saying, “one day at a time.” It was a painful first year in the last frontier but the highlights of 2016 included:
Pacemaker surgery
Youngest’s depression
Job loss – new job
Son moving home
Hubby’s new job. (Traveling for work)
Often life felt like it was just too much and I was spinning constantly. It was partially why I closed down my old blog. That was one more thing that added to the weight I felt and it didn’t fit my new situation or new location. Because of taking on a new job, one that’s far more demanding, less rewarding, and one I don’t think I’m qualified to do, I also lost freelance work. Honestly, I’m still struggling with that.
Even with the suckage that is the new President (I didn’t vote for him), my own little bubble looks a bit brighter than last year but I didn’t know if I need a word for this year to keep me on track or point me in the right direction. I don’t like picking one, yet I felt something was necessary.
A word or a mantra?
The mantra to survive grounded me a bit. I wore some simple jewelry pieces that made me think of love and peacefulness and kept me moving. They reminded me of people I loved and missed and it’s strange but it helped. Those pieces gave me the courage to keep going. I learned to breathe through them.
So this year I decided to pick a mantra again. Something that I can repeat to myself. That I can visualize both internally and externally. And if you know me, you know this would take some serious introspection and reflection. I didn’t want to choose a mantra that I needed because I’m on the verge of falling apart; I wanted something that would help me remember that I was better than just surviving.
2017’s goal is simple
Work for myself. I have put it off for far too long and I know that nothing else I want to do, big or small, will happen if I don’t make this happen first.
For introspection’s sake, I had to look at the survival of last year. I came out the other side of a rough year. Yes, some days are still much tougher than I think they should be but (and this is hard for some people to wrap their heads around,) but I think God tests me just like a Koopa Troopa that bounces back and chases Mario… I can either jump over and keep going or I can let it hurt me. I choose the former over the latter.
I would say that Godnever gives more than I can take but I don’t know that I believe that anymore; I’ve been witness to some truly awful life situations both as a bystander and participant. But I do believe God likes to throw a well aimed curve ball and it’s whether or not I decide to swing or duck that is entirely up to me.
Accentuating the positive
Instead of focusing on the negative, I forced myself to look at the positive. A few words that jumped out at me when I thought about last year included:
- Patience (yes, I know – horribly ironic isn’t it?)
- Strength
- Perseverance
- Love
- Fighter
The internet broke themselves when Elizabeth Warren was shut down on the Senate floor. Mitch McConnell did his party NO FAVORS when he said, “She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.”
DUDE.
It’s no longer a goal to just survive this year; I want to win.
Imagine a girl who crawls through one of those plastic, slippery playhut tunnel and comes out the other side, jumping up with her hair standing on end and a shit eating grin on her face. That tunnel rocked back and forth (maybe her friends were even pushing it around from the outside, rocking it to and fro) and static electricity pushed her hair all up in her eyes so she couldn’t see, but damn she made it!
Do you remember what it’s like to be her?
Be the queen.
She’s the strongest piece on the board. Some argue that she’s the most important too. “Be the queen” is a battle cry to myself that it’s not just enough to exist. It’s not enough to make it through one day at a time. My other goals may change over this year but one thing remains the same; I have to do me first. And you should too.
YOU SHOULD BE THE QUEEN.
Whatever your goal or dream is this year, Win it. Rock it. Come out with your hair on end, full of electricity and wear that shit eating grin because you WON. There is nothing wrong with going through this world, this LIFE and saying “Damn. I am awesome and I am going to win!” Ladies we don’t do this enough. WE.DO.NOT.
Be the MotherF*cking Queen.
Do you choose a word, a phrase, or a mantra to focus on in the new year?
Let’s go one further: How will you be the queen?
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