Hi, hello, what’s up, ma dude?!
Before looking forward to this incredible new year of life, I find it necessary to reflect on all that 21 brought me.
21, you brought me experiences that pushed me to new heights.
My mind opened to the possibility of subtly not giving an F about things out of my control.
About listening and becoming in tune with what my soul needs.
About letting people out of my life that no longer needed to occupy space in my head or my heart.
About offering grace to those who need it most, even when it wasn’t what was easy.
About making choices for the bettering of me; mentally, emotionally, and physically.
About confronting things that I didn’t agree with, with respect and open dialogue.
About honoring my body.
About acknowledging my emotions and sharing them.
About remaining accountable to myself.
About allowing myself to be more free of external pressures.
About allowing school to take more of a backseat role in my education.
About following my heart; falling, rising, and thriving again.
22:
Brené Brown introduced this acronym in her book, Braving the Wilderness.
B : Boundaries // You respect my boundaries, and when you’re not clear about what’s okay and not okay, you ask. You’re willing to say no.
R : Reliability // You do what you say you’ll do. This means staying aware of your competencies and limitations so you don’t over-promise and are able to deliver on commitments and balance competing priorities.
A : Accountability // You own your mistakes, apologize, and make amends.
V : Vault // You don’t share information or experiences that are not yours to share. I need to know that my confidences are kept, and that you’re not sharing with me any information about other people that should be confidential.
I : Integrity // You choose courage over comfort. You choose what is right over what is fun, fast, or easy. And you choose to practice your values rather than simply professing them.
N : Nonjudgement // I can ask for what I need, and you can ask for what you need. We can talk about how we feel without judgment.
G : Generosity // You extend the most generous interpretation possible to the intentions, words, and actions of others.
_ _ _
On her blog, Brené writes,
“Braving The Wilderness is a call to courage.
A call to move closer to each other, because people are hard to hate close up.
A call to speak truth to bullshit. But be civil.
And to hold hands. With strangers.”
_ _ _
It takes you through pages of learning true belonging and a call to courage in standing alone, which is the heartbeat of my life. Those two concepts run central to who I am.
So, in year 22, I’ll call to courage in being (all caps and boldly) BRAVE.
Brave enough to // Seek the sunshine in the company you keep, the people you meet, and the place you sleep.
Brave enough to // Honor the body you have for all it has gone through, all that it can do, and for the future adventures that it will allow you to experience.
Brave enough to // Love freely, uninhibited, and in spite of the barriers that society has placed. Love is and ALWAYS will be, love. Everyone deserves a love that feels deep and wide, with whomever their heart chooses.
Brave enough to // Enjoy the last moments of the past 4 years while looking forward to the next journey.
Brave enough to // Savor moments, memories, and food. All should have great care taken when appreciating.
Brave enough to // Appreciate your people and their time.
Brave enough to // Share joy. Compliment from the heart, to the heart. Magnify strengths over weakness.
Brave enough to // Communicate feelings, no matter how invalid someone may say that they are. Your feelings are valid because they are yours.
Brave enough to // Be present. Vulnerable. Open. Transparent. Honest. Authentic.
Brave enough to // Do things that bring your happy to the front. Do life, fully.
Brave enough to // Eliminate negativity in people around you, the space that you occupy, and within the head that sits upon your shoulders.
Brave enough to // Experience sunrise. Chase sunset. Sit in silence.
Brave enough to //Immerse yourself in experiences and opportunities.
Brave enough to // See the good in people — the heart that beats, the soul that speaks, and find what makes them unique.
Brave enough to // Smile like you have nothing to lose and everything to gain — the smile is a universal language, shown by some and felt by all.
Brave enough to // Read books. Situations. Emotions. People.
Brave enough to // Exercise your mind, your voice, and your backbone. Your mind can be open to allow your voice to be heard, whilst keeping a backbone and resolve to stick true to what you believe.
Brave enough to // Call your parents, grandparents, sibs, etc. on the phone and on their shit. Accountability is key.
Brave enough to // try new things just for the heck of it, no matter what people might say.
Brave enough to // be me and without pause.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve got a good feelin’ about 22.
xo, jo