I know. Could I be any more cliché with my word choice for this new year when the world keeps falling apart all around us?
I first wanted to pick “hope”, which seemed even more cliché, but since hope and trust are closely related and trust seems a little bit more committed than hope, I went with it. Honestly, it’s the only word that kept popping back into my mind and it truly feels like the only fitting word for me right now.
trust /ˈtrəst/ (verb)
You. Me. The process? The universe?
I am not really religious and have long given up on the thought that was is happening on this planet is the will of a higher power or that a higher power will help us fix things. I think it’s up to us and I do ultimately trust in the good in this world and its people (minus a few exceptions).
I need to trust (and listen to) myself more. I tend to suffer from imposter syndrome sometimes and I need to trust more that I recognize what is working for me and what isn’t, so I can let go and redirect. I want to trust how to use my voice to advocate for myself and others.
I will trust my community, my family, my friends. I trust that together we can bring change, and I will trust and listen to their words and wisdom and let them catch me, as I am always willing to catch them.
I will trust my body, and that it knows what it needs (may it be rest, fuel, movement), trust that a deep breath will always calm me down and that a good run will clear my head every single time.
I will trust that I can stop and rest and take care of myself without always needing to be doing something. More often than not, I feel better about myself when I am productive, but if this last year has taught me one thing, it is that productiveness is not everything and that you can’t always force it, especially when there’s so much going on in the world.
I trust the scientists (and doctors and healthcare workers) to help and guide us through this pandemic. It’s hard to believe that we’ve been going through it for almost a full year and we’re not yet at the end of it, but I trust that we will soon see the end of the tunnel and a path back to normalcy where we can see and hug our family and friends again. I trust that the sacrifices were worth it.
I will trust that they’re good people coming in who will fix the political mess in this country. I am not going to lie, these last four years have been scary times. I haven’t wanted to become numb to the news but found myself often just shrugging my shoulders about yet another unbelievable news story that should have had us all jumping out of our seats. (Just me?) Half of the crazy sh*t doesn’t even make it on the news anymore, because there is so much to cover on any given day. I guess I am tired, is what I am saying, but I trust all the good people that have worked so hard to turn out the vote for Joe Biden in the fall, and I trust that if only we can get through the next few days without too much harm done, we can hopefully put this country back on the right trajectory.
I trust that good things will happen this year, even if we are off to a rocky start. I trust that we can all do better; that kindness, humanity, and decency will prevail in the end.
What’s your word for 2021?
Here are the words I picked in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020.