Rooted.
My word of the year for 2023 is rooted. Instead of setting the traditional goals and life improvements this year, I want to focus on being awake right where I’m at. The past few years have been difficult. I made challenging decisions to uproot my life multiple times in search of finding my place and myself. I’m proud of all the decisions I made to get where I am today. I left a city I didn’t love, I left toxic relationships, and I have been repeatedly looking inward and asking myself what I want. I did all of these things to live a calmer and more fulfilled life. But I’ve found it difficult to live in the calm. I find myself wanting something new and different.
I have proven to myself that I am good at doing hard things. What if I’m not good at doing easy things? Maybe the “easy” things are the “hard” things. I think being is so much more difficult than doing. I can do, accomplish, and achieve but can I just be? Being present is what I’m striving for this year. There is no destination the destination is here. I’m focusing on developing the relationships I worked hard to create this past year in Portland. I’m looking to form habits that make my everyday life enjoyable. Being present in my body and constantly bringing my mind back to the now. How do I feel right now? It’s so easy to be thinking of the future. The next job, adventure, volunteer opportunity, philosophy, or thing that will change my life.
Are we all striving? Are we all looking for that thing that will fix us? I know I am. I know that I am not alone in that. Our society is filled with inspiring before and after stories. But life is before, during, and after. Usually, you’re the same person all the way through. Sure we can change, learn, and be better but I don’t believe in the happily ever after. I don’t think it’s healthy to be happy forever. I want to feel everything. I want to be awake for my life. For the boring, sad, overwhelmed, joyous, warm, anxious, and awe-inspiring days. I’m staying rooted by putting one foot in front of the other this year. Just take one step. Be awake for that step and keep on walking.
Rooted artwork by ashleyjanedesign.com