My OLW for 2022
This year it’s a hard one – what word should I choose to encapsulate what this year could be? What word would I like to live towards? What one word should I choose…? You see, that’s the point. So much of the last two years has not been about choice. It’s been thrust upon us. The uncertainties. The panic. The grief and loss. The fear, and smell of fear – even permeating the sanitising glass of the television. This pandemic has transformed life as we have known it – turning a Cinderella story into that of Frankenstein.
After tossing up words like perseverance and resilience, I still felt uncomfortable about living that way through another year. It did not sit well with me. I could not countenance a challenging year of having to bend and flex like a reed in a pond, holding my head above water, seeking the sunshine.
So, I choose instead to seek the good in the year ahead. I choose to celebrate the kindness of family, friends and random strangers. I choose to see the good in people’s faces and actions. I choose to welcome what comes with a ‘glass half-full’ perspective. I choose to live this coming year with my one little word – gratitude. That is my choice.
Amy Ellerman
Love your one little word for 2022! This turn of phrase was especially visual and evocative: “. . . a challenging year of having to bend and flex like a reed in a pond, holding my head above water, seeking the sunshine.” That feeling of moving to be in the light and then feeling the light–I know exactly what you mean!
Terje
I find that of all the words, gratitude is the mightiest. When times have been tough, holding on to gratitude has kept me afloat, and slowly slowly, gratitude has lifted me up. I believe as the saying goes “gratitude creates abundance.” At the same time I do not believe in asking myself or other people to be positive all the time. The sadness and anger are adequate emotions at many times. I hope your OLW will serve you well this year.
Kimberly Haynes Johnson
I love that you were so deliberate and intentional with your word. What a powerful angle – – the positivity in the word!
Stacey
Such a great word! I lived with gratitude as my OLW a few years ago (after a particularly rough year). It really helped me to treasure the everyday miracles and simple things.
Glenda M Funk
I’m keeping a gratitude journal to focus on the good this year because, as you say, it’s so hard.