Notice

In 2020, my word for the year was brave. I kept this word with me all year--sometimes literally, as my sweet sister bought me a mug with “brave” on it--and I pushed myself to try new things: to shake off expectations, to share more writing, to relax more, to see more clearly, to release worry. I’m not finished with this word (I almost never am at the end of a year), but I feel comfortable with that and happy to keep growing into it. I am braver at the end of the year than I was at the beginning.

This year, my word is notice. Notice kept brave company for most of last year, as I worked on recognizing my fears and letting go of the expectations that mired me in those fears. I get stuck in my own head so often, missing the good things that are happening because I’m trying to feel like I’m in control. What I want is to pay attention to the astonishing and wonderful things that are happening right here--things that throwing off fear allows me to see--even if they’re not always the particular astonishing and wonderful things I planned or wanted. 

I’m hoping to start bravely noticing what I’ve been given, how I can serve the needs around me, and how to tell about it all better than I could before.