Yeah, Yeah, Yeah
Beatles Tribute Band ‘Strawberry Fields’ photographed in NYC 3 September 2016.
Twelve or so years ago I started a tradition to ditch the new year’s resolution and replace it with a word—just one word—to focus on for the year. My friend Kerry Pietrobon of Harlow fashion clothing explained it much better than I could in her business Insta account here.
Kerry says “I think of the Word of the Year as being my constant – yet gentle – reminder to bring what I feel is most needed to me. The idea is to use your Word of the Year to help guide my decisions and continue moving towards what I want. The first step to manifesting anything you desire is awareness and intention - that’s what my word does for me.”
I was willing to let the turn of this year pass without choosing my word. Then I had another reminder from my friend Sam for which I was grateful. And then another again. And another. But still a single word with which to approach 2021 eluded me.
I am flat. I am lethargic. I am happiest being alone. I have been for months. Until I’m not. I’m temperamental and it feels right to be so. I don’t want to play right now. I haven’t wanted to play for months and months and months and I’ve accepted that there’s not much wrong with that. It will pass. And knowing all this, I was willing to end my twelve or so year tradition of choosing one word. It wasn’t a big deal. Bla, bla, bla. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
On the flip side, what I have held an energy for is writing, but this is something I’ve been keeping mostly to myself. The effects of losing my dog in March of last year remain with me. I have changed because of it. Through his death I’ve become more aware of who I am. And what I am not.
When Yippee died I asked him what I needed to do to get over my loss. I heard the word “Create”.
Knowingly or not, creating is what we do in each moment of our day. At the very basis of being we create our thoughts, feelings and moods. We go about our day creating our work, food, plans, conversations and relationships. Then there is our speciality, that God-given attribute that enables us to create and contribute to the world in our own unique way. This is the type of creation that Yippee was telling me I needed to do.
I am not a talker. I’m a listener. I’m a writer. I’m a photographer. There is an art to all these.
Through writing and photography I create a connection with others I might not relate to otherwise.
So there it is. My word for 2021 is “Create”.
In conjunction with the personal writing I do most mornings in my journal, I will endeavour to come back here and keep my word to create. I’ve always been one to keep my word. I hope 2021 won’t be any different.
Create is my word. What’s yours?