2021 Word/Phrase Of The Year

It’s time to start thinking about your word/phrase of the year for 2021. A  delicious respite for the mind and something uplifting to think about.

As 2020 draws to a close, let’s first congratulate ourselves for having just endured one of the most challenging years ever known to humanity in the modern era.

Between the chaos of the Trump presidency, the chaos of this year’s  election process for voting, for counting for certifying, to the fakest “fake news” ever and the heartbreak and sorrow and fear around the PANDEMIC, our nerves are frayed and frazzled.

At a time of year when we’re usually worried that there’s too much to do, too many social events and not enough time, we’re recognizing that the holiday traditions we know, love and treasure must be tabled out of respect for the safety and health of all.

Let the empty seats at your holiday tables this year remind you of the deep and abiding love you have for who are not present.  And for those who are present, let your love and gratitude for all that is good overflow your cup.

We are all looking forward to the blessed relief we are hoping for in the year to come.

Please add your loudest AMEN to the idea of a mental reset in 2021.

First and foremost, our new president will lead us through the agonies of the pandemic, economic rebuilding and eventual recovery.  He will restore the broken structures of our most treasured democratic institutions and agencies with dignity, thoughtfulness and respect for the diversity of our nation.

We will, once again, gather with family and friends to celebrate, honor and rejoice in our new found freedoms.

The new year holds the promise of an effective Covid-19 vaccine and a recalibration of how we’ll do EVERYTHING to vanquish the pandemic.  This relentless foe and its accompanying lock downs, social distancing and life style changes have caused us to rethink so many things we’ve taken for granted.

One of the hidden blessings is that in the slowing down, hunkering down and letting go of expectations we’ve learned  so much about ourselves.

As an outgoing introvert, I’ve discovered how much I love the lack of expectation of “going out,” of shopping in stores, of driving over hill and dale to attend meetings and functions.  I’m one of those people who really enjoys all the cozy time at home.  Even all the Zoom meetings and events.

And watching our grandchildren run around, laugh, play and squabble on FaceTime.  And, the piece de resistance, my daughter’s Zoom wedding in San Francisco.  So creative, loving and inspiring to me.  Even though I cried my way through my mother of the bride speech all the way from Baltimore. And all the way from Honolulu, the groom’s mother-son dance was a beautiful hula performed in unison thanks to the magic of technology.

What have you found to be your hidden blessing during the Covid crisis of 2020?

Let’s get down to the business of choosing your word/phrase of the year.

Here is a reprise of what I wrote at the end of 2019 on this subject.  While this year, I’ve amended the practice to including a word or phrase, the process of choosing is the same.

As I reread last year’s post, I’m struck by how little I could have ever imagined what lay ahead in 2020 and how grounding last year’s word became.  It was simplify.

Think of your word or phrase as the beacon in your lighthouse guiding you home.

No matter how rough the seas or stormy the weather in your life, it will remind you of your intentions and sharpen your focus.

Whenever you’re overthinking or over-reacting, your special word or phrase will cut through all the noise and help you make decisions with greater confidence and clarity.

It will shine with a steady and reliable strength to guide you back to yourself and your core desires.

Choose that one special word or phrase that will become your touchstone for the year ahead.

It will become your go-to word. or phrase.  With all its many nuances and shades of meaning, it will illuminate a path forward.

It can help you remember what’s important whenever you find yourself in a quandary.

It can help you interrupt your tendency to lean into indulgent emotions like overwhelm, indecision, worry and procrastination.

Follow these easy steps to choose your word or phrase for 2021.

Step 1:  Set an intention that you will find your word/phrase. 

• Ask yourself how you want to feel on a more frequent basis or the way you would like to approach your choices and decisions in the coming year.
• Start thinking thoughts that generate feelings of excitement and curiosity about what your word will be.
• Decide in advance that finding your word will be a fun adventure.
• Ask your brain to come to up with more than one option.

• Allow your brain time to percolate on the assignment.

Step 2:  Explore your options.

• Make a list of as many words that feel like options, five, ten, twenty.  There’s no right number to consider.
• Reflect on the words that may be your top contenders.
• Think about all the many ways the word could give deeper meaning and guidance when applied to your relationship with yourself, your family and friends, and your professional life.
• Try each option on for size.  Marinate in the feelings it generates.
• Is there a word you keep coming back to?  Decide which word continues to generate the most resonance.
• If you think it would be helpful, check in with someone whose opinions you value.