A Year of Intention, Purpose, and Power
For many of us, we have been waiting for 2021 to come for so long. We were hoping that there would be a magical mental and physical shift from the fear, trauma and violence that 2020 brought.
- “I just can’t wait to usher in a new year.”
- “I am looking forward to a better year.”
- “Things can only get better in 2021…we have reached so many low points in 2020.”
It is true that 2021 will be some actual changes….there is now a vaccine for COVID-19 that has begun being disseminated. We will have a new President and Vice President in the White House and the first black and Asian woman to be elected to this high power in the United States. Yet so many things are still the same – uncertain, unstable, and unresolved. There are still people fighting for their lives and dying as a result of COVID-19. 2021 won’t bring them new breath, new lungs, new life. The complete upheaval of the American education system is still in flux with students “learning” from home without equal access, support, and tools to fully learn and engage. And we continue to see businesses closing, workers filing for unemployment benefits and the shelter and food giveaway lines reach epic proportions. Millions of Americans who are working from home while taking care of their children or parents have brought on blurred boundaries, emotional waves, and exposed so many dynamics that need to be addressed.
Less than a full week into 2021, we have already experienced how jarring and destabilizing it feels to balance news of victory and the reality of hate all in 24 hours. This time feels chaotic, unsettling, and breeds anxiety amongst many. Yet it also feels catalytic, as if we are at a long=awaited tipping point of transformation with hope that we can create anew our individual and collective walks with one another.
As I began to think about the impact of 2020 personally and professionally with deep intention over the last couple of months, I began to shift my focus from how I hoped 2021 would be different to how I was going to address the old wounds and freshly minted scars that came from being forced to literally sit with myself. 2020 created the perfect storm and opportunity for me to get in deeper relationship with myself.…the woman, the wife, the mother, the daughter, the survivor, the fighter, the helper, and the carrier of more burdens than I would like to admit to in my 43 years of life. To be honest, 2020 brought me the biggest mirror that I have ever saw and it exposed with real clarity all of my beauty and my flaws. And I am truly thankful for that gift.
So, as I move into 2021, I am committing myself to making every decision with intention, with purpose, and with power. I want to be the best human I can be and I know that my path and purpose is uniquely designed for me. As long as I am authentic and honest with myself and ensure that there is alignment with my core values, then there are no right or wrong choices…there are only intentional moves with a powerful voice. I want to be proud of the reflection in the mirror that I see. I am challenging myself, as I do my coaching and consulting clients alike to be true to who you are, focus on doing your part excellently, name and seek out experiences and work that connects to your purpose and vision, allow that to guide your decisions and choices. Regardless of what others think, make choices that are heart-centered and purpose-filled so that you can be your most powerful self.
I hope you will join me in this challenge. And I hope my mirror, and yours, never break.
Melissa Johnson Hewitt