Word of the Year: Quarterly Checkin

Here we are at the beginning of a new quarter — most of us totally smacked by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bringing in big picture thinking helps me gain perspective. Are you willing to try with me?

Take a moment to bring your Word of the Year to mind. Let it roll around a bit in your psyche. Having a Word of the Year always brings surprises. It shows up and gives lessons in many unexpected ways. This year is tricky. We're in a major exercise of letting go of expectations, so I invite you to do the same with your Word of the Year.

Don't abandon it. Instead, get curious. How has it played out so far? What new lessons might it bring? Where is there resistance? What's opening up for you? Try free writing with these prompts. Set a timer and see what comes. If you are new to free writing, check out my Learn Free Writing video on YouTube.

My word for 2020 is Stretch. I imagined growth and expansion. Heart opening and new frontiers. I also knew that stretching can be challenging and unfamiliar. It can be by choice but also can come from the outside.

That pretty much sums up the first three months of 2020. My love and I stretched ourselves by having a rather large and very public wedding union. We've been planning it for a while, but it was a stretch for us to share so much in what has been a very personal and private relationship. But my heart expanded even more, and I feel more connected to my communities.

Stretch also showed up with health challenges, from having bronchitis for the first time to an eardrum rupturing in the middle of the night. And now we are all stretched thin by the pressures and ramifications of the coronavirus.

Those have not been my favorite forms of stretching, yet they've taught me about flexibility. How can I let go of expectations of how life needs to be?

Along those lines, a beautiful “Be Free” flower essence blend came into my life thanks to Jessica Ash. It supports flexibility and being with what is. I'd forgotten that stretching naturally includes contraction. Not only do we need recovery, but retraction and re-reaching also lead to deeper stretching.

Because of the advent of the coronavirus, I've gotten myself to stretch through technical hurdles to get comfortable with Zoom and the idea of teaching online. Nothing like a pandemic to put other challenges into perspective. It's gotten me to expand my ideas of service and find new ways to connect and offer new gifts.

What's surprised me most about Stretch is how aware it's made me of my foundation. Stretching requires safety, stability and confidence. Stretch has shown me where to firm up my supports and pointed out what I've become dependent on.

I'm cultivating an independent physical training practice by connecting with self-motivation. In other realms I'm setting Stretch goals to see how they help me blast through mental blocks that stall me out. While the world seems to be luring us back into the cocoon of Winter, I'm staying true to my word, Stretch, even while honoring the Stay at Home initiative. You don't have to wander far to stretch your wings.

Your insights into your Word of the Year would brighten my day. Please share where you're at. This is a safe space.