My Favorite Words

I have a few favorite words.  In case you haven't noticed because I tend to use them quite a lot in this space. These are my "go to" words that I have learned are very important to know, repeat and live during different seasons of life.  I could expound more on each, but in a nutshell here goes. . .Resilience.This is one of my all time favorites.  I think it can and should be our superpower.  Resilience is the one thing that brings you through any and all things.  Big or small. It allows you to survive and actually thrive when adversity shows up at your door.  Resilience isn't just something you are born with either, believe me.  If you have heard that you are either born with resilience or not, that is a myth.   Resilience is like a muscle.  It can be trained and strengthened.  It may not happen lickity split but that is okay.  It takes work, experience and intent.  Sometimes we become resilient slowly, bit by bit,  from overcoming small stressors and obstacles.  The small stressors begin building your base so that when a larger obstacle, life event or trauma comes,  you are able to rely on that base, actually build on your base,  lean into your circumstances and gain new strength.  That is where your superpower begins.  You become resilient.I think I am not at all doing this superpower justice as I have much, much more to say about Resiliency, but moving on . . .PurposePurpose is defined as the motivating aims of your life.  You may have heard it described as the reason you get up in the morning.  Having that reason, and knowing it, are crucial to your wellbeing.  That being said, it does not have to be set in stone.  Your purpose can change with the Season of your life.  Realizing this and then doing the work to refocus and embrace a new purpose, or one that has taken a back seat, will bring you so many benefits as you grow into a new time or season of life.  It is also important to know that a purpose does not have to be some grand, save the entire world goal to be real and meaningful.  We are all different with different gifts and experiences.  It may take some time and patience to find your path, but the alternative is remaining stagnate or stuck and we are all here for so much more than that.  Which brings me to the next . . .Move Forward.Obviously, this isn't one word but I had to include it as one of my tops because I must say this every. single. day.  I'm sure my boys are tired of hearing the concept.  These two words say so many things.  They create action, movement.  Our bodies and our beings were meant to move, not sit.  We are meant to grow and change and become more and better.  We cannot do this by remaining in one place or by moving backwards.  Whatever it is, big or small in life, a transition out of school, a time between jobs, a break up, a traumatic event such as a divorce or death - there will be times we find ourselves with the "opportunity" to get stuck or simply stop.  One simple step is all it takes to get unstuck.  Forward movement does not have to be big to be effective.  It may be as small as sending a text, going for a walk, signing up for a class, any action counts that brings you in a forward direction.  Remember, even the smallest movements are brave and cause for celebration.JOY.Well, of course.  This has been my one word that, for me, is much more than a word.  For me, it represents a presence, a feeling, a constant truth.  If you know joy, you just know it.  It is different from happiness.  While, like happiness, it is a feeling, joy is more consistent and comes from inside.  The chaos, situations and events and circumstances around you do not "steal your joy" as I like to say.  Joy comes when you make peace with who you are, where you are and why.  It is not triggered by external events, people or thoughts.  It may sound a little "woo woo" but it is a beautiful place to be, a wonderful tool for your overall wellbeing in life. If you think it might be a missing link, it is definitely out there for you.  There are simple ways to bring more JOY to each day. I promise.  AND it is so worth the bit of work it may take in  gathering the tools and learning how to create JOY in your life.  When you have it, you know it.  Also, guess what?  Others will know, too.There you go.  These are my favorite words.  There are others I love, hopefully represent, and fall back on but love sharing these top four.Wondering what your own words are?  If you haven't given it much thought, it's a great exercise.  Simply take a few minutes of quiet and write down the top four that come to mind for you.  What do they mean for you? Why?

Stay Well!

      By the way, this all came about because of a Reel I shared on Insta.Here it is. (comes out looking a little wonky, doesn't it?)[embed]https://www.instagram.com/reel/CTNzoLwlYGP/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link[/embed]