Celebration and Gratitude

So much of the end of December is focused on setting intentions for next year. I'm not a huge fan of that - I feel the pressure and stress of getting it right, doing it better next year. The framework feels like I'm starting from a deficit.

But in one of my communities, a friend asked, “What are you celebrating from this year?”

I loved that framing. What are you celebrating? is different from What did you achieve? It's different from rushing to set an intention for next year. It's an invitation to reflect from a place of abundance.  The question allowed me to look at the year from a lens that incorporated more than just what I produced. And that helped me think about what I wanted to continue carrying into next year.

Early in 2022, I discovered that someone I met in an online professional community lived close by. She mentioned feeling alone. "I'm right over the bridge," I exclaimed, "I'll come meet you!"

Two days later, we had an amazing walk filled with laughter and discovery.

In that moment, I committed to spend as much of 2022 in person with people I love. I said yes to every opportunity possible. The results were beyond what I could have imagined. 2022 wasn't about where I went or what I saw or what I accomplished.  

For me, 2022 was about feeling connected, present, and steeped in joy.

So I’m celebrating the power of connection as we close out the year - and I'll carry it with me as I head into 2023.

__________

I’m just feeling grateful. Grateful I can see my children. Grateful to wake up in the morning. Not in war, not in hunger, not in cold.

Grateful to my communities - on line and in person.

Grateful to my body for working. Grateful to my brain for staying active and open.

Grateful to people who show me acts of kindness - people who say yes to the podcast; people at the Columbus Visitor Center who made sure I got on a tour of the Miller House where I felt my father’s spirit; the doorman who channeled my mother's spirit, the kindness of friends, of family, who keep my heart full and my mind strong.

Grateful to Isaac Boots who inspired me during the pandemic to show up doing what I love and share it with others.  To Anderson .Paak who keeps me dancing as I fight. To Bono and U2 who provide the soundtrack to my life. To Rachel Rodgers who spoke plainly and, through her vulnerability, showed me my blind spots. I can’t unsee that now and I am grateful to you for that.

And grateful to Dani and Jess - and Shelley and Nicole before them - who are walking beside me as we head into the scary and exhilarating unknown of evolving the culture of law enforcement through coaching.

Deepest thanks.

❤️