We’ve all had a rather intense and life-changing couple of years with the pandemic.
Whether you’ve had the coronavirus or not, the shutdowns, fear, personal losses, employment loss or changes, workforce shortages, supply chain disruptions, school closings, and isolation linked to the pandemic have impacted us all.
Right now, the global village of humans is experiencing similar issues, emotions, and life experiences. Most of us feel burned out and stressed out. The pandemic has been draining in every way.
On New Year’s Eve, isolated at home, I decided I wasn’t going to make my usual New Year’s resolutions/goals. Life has been too unpredictable for me to maintain my big goals, such as traveling to a country I haven’t seen, taking a class, visiting friends and family across the country, or even going for a daily walk.
Instead, inspired by an older WRAP blog titled “What is Your Intention for the Year Ahead?” I chose a word as my intention. Just one simple word.
I considered what I most need in my life this year to maintain wellness.
What was the one word that could serve as an umbrella for all my WRAP tools, daily activities, and perspective?
A few words came to mind: “joy,” “growth,” “forgiveness,” “release,” “play,” and “light” were among my choices. I finally settled on “GRATITUDE.” For me, gratitude is most important for maintaining wellness, because I tend to focus (perhaps obsess at times) on what I lack, rather than being consciously grateful for what I have. I don’t have the life I thought I’d have at this age. I don’t have everything I desire. But really, how many of us do? And how much does it even matter?
So, I bought a small notebook, and every day I challenge myself to write down three things I’m grateful for that day. It may be something small, such as my new coffee creamer was particularly smooth and delicious, I found a book with a story that sucks me in, or I saw a pansy outside that has survived the snow. Or it may be something larger, such as having lunch with someone I haven’t seen in years, getting a raise, or having a neighbor shovel my walkway.
I want to be as grateful for tiny things as I would be if I won the lotto, adopted a puppy, or traveled to one of my bucket-list countries. so this is my year of GRATITUDE.
What is your word for the year? Maybe you’ll want to choose one of the key concepts of WRAP: hope, personal responsibility, education, self-advocacy, and support.
What do you want your focus to be for 2022? We’d love to know! Post your responses on the WRAP Facebook page, or email us at books@wellnessrecoveryactionplan.com, and we will include your answers in the next issue.
Happy New Year to the WRAP family!
WRAP Associate at Advocates for Human Potential, Inc.
