My 2022 Word of the Year

I'm not sure when I started committing to a "word of the year", but I'm glad I did.

Setting a word of the year gives optimists and dreamers, like myself, a foundation or principle to refer back to throughout the year for a sense of grounding. If "groundedness" was a word, I'd use it to describe having a word of the year to lean on and be reminded of one's goals and ambitions for the days ahead. I don't believe you can only set your word of the year in January. I also don't believe you have to stick with just that one word for the full 12 months. Life is fluid and fleeting. There are no rules on what works best for your motivation needs when it comes to a word of the year.

In 2021, my word of the year was renewal. I had been experiencing a lot of emotional turbulence in my life at the time and needed to be intentional about my healing process. Though I cannot remember the exact day I knew my word for 2021 would be renewal, I do remember where I was.

I traveled to Denver, Colorado with a few relatives on Christmas Day 2020 for a brief, wintery vacation. I spent some time reflecting on the campus of the University of Colorado at Boulder. Back in 2012, I was on that campus for a resident assistants' conference. Bundled up in a black jacket and red hat, I paced the open area of the campus to clear my head and give myself some closure about the year. I prayed. I cried. I reminisced. I sought clarity on what to do next because nothing in my life was going the way I had envisioned when the year began. There was a smile on my face, but within, I was void and sad.

When I made my way back to downtown Denver, I parked in a parking garage. It was dark so I said a short prayer for safety and walked toward my hotel. To keep from looking like a lost tourist, I stuffed my phone in my pocket and kept my head up. My peripheral vision was caught by some bright signage shining in the night. When I paused to make out what exactly was on the sign, I smiled - genuinely - and giggled to myself. That's when I knew my word.

I spent 2021 practicing my renewal process. I needed to focus on the renewal of my sense of self. I had become so engulfed in the lives of others to distract myself from my pain, that I lost touch with me. Little did I know just how much would be renewed in my life. 2021 allowed me to renew my faith. I rededicated my life to Christ on August 8, 2021 at Elevation Church - Riverwalk. My relationship with my parents, particularly with my dad, experienced a bit of a renewal. We had been estranged, but cordial, for a years. I opened up to him throughout the year about my fragility and emotional challenges. He was able to offer some advice that helped me see things from a different perspective.

My mentality about work was also renewed. Working in healthcare media relations during a global health pandemic is challenging. I was responsible for internal and external communications efforts for four hospital in 2020 and six hospitals at the start of 2021. Everyone in our department across the nation experienced the pressures of responding to a 24-hour news cycle, calming a panicked population, and adjusting frequently as pandemic research continued. With my 2021 word in mind, I wanted to take a different approach to work in 2021. I started reminding myself that the job allowed me to teach people through news media by connecting the dots between healthcare professionals and reporters. Since I originally went to college to become an educator, my passion was renewed with this affirmation. My responsibilities increased and my performance continued to be commended by my supervisors. I coordinated press conferences, helped to launch service lines, organized community service and employee appreciation initiatives, trained new colleagues, and even interviewed our company's president.

Lastly, my self-awareness and self-confidence underwent a renewal process in 2021. I was reminded that my light shines from within and I am enough. I can't speak for all empathetic people, but my experiences have taught me that always wanting to be there for others can lead to some life-changing disappointments. It's hard to set boundaries, especially when you care. 2021 taught me that in order to be there for others, I have to be here for myself, first. You cannot pour from an empty cup and when you are stretched so thin, trying to run away from the things you need to sit in and deal with, no one benefits. I learned that firsthand and I am a better woman for it. The way I see myself at the end of 2021 is lightyears bolder, sassier, and wiser than I could have dreamed when I picked "renewal" as my root word of the year. I love me unconditionally, and that allows me to love others in a more fruitful way.

As 2021 came to a close and I reflected on how impactful "renewal" was for me, I knew I needed a word for 2022. My word of the year is inspired by the Kwanzaa principle Kujichagulia. It means self-determination and challenges people to define themselves, name themselves, create for themselves, and speak for themselves. Essentially, it is a statement about the conceptualization of oneself for oneself. I spent a lot of time in my life being guided by what other people thought of me, and trying to fit in the mold of who society wanted me to be. I've made a commitment to myself to define and develop myself into the best and most authentic "Daisy" I can be. There are some lofty ambitions for me to tackle throughout the foreseeable future and I'm excited to see my progress with self-determination as my rooting principle to lean on. 2022 will come with its challenges and triumphs. Life is a journey! Let's do this!