Lovingly stolen from Gentry, I absolutely adore the idea of having a word of the year. Last year, my word was move, and BOY did I ever, just not in any of the ways I expected. (I did find a gym I loved but it shut down #sadface.)
This brings me to this year’s word. Grace.
Grace has about 8 different meanings, but I’m using it to mean a type of patience. Grace to others, grace to myself.
disposition to or an act or instance of kindness, courtesy, or clemency
I’m always telling people to be kinder to themselves, and this is the year I become kinder to me.
I’m not shy in letting people know I’ve been working with a therapist since August. Joal is amazing and gives me just the amount of tough love I need. We’ve been working on taking myself seriously, setting boundaries, and observing how I feel. I’ve learned that anxiety is not a feeling, but an alarm to let me know that a big feeling is coming on. I’m taking more time to process exactly how it is I’m feeling and why. I’ve become more observant about myself and will actually have an internal dialogue if I start feeling anxious. For example: “I feel my anxiety spiking. I am starting to feel {this feeling} because {this reason} and that is ok!” or “I am sad right now and that is valid.”
The “it’s ok” and “that’s valid” is the part that’s hard. We live in a world where we’re constantly trying to push through or out of our feelings, rather and identifying and allowing ourselves to feel them. Give yourself the grace and patience to feel, to be. And know that everyone you encounter is going through very human stuff as well. They deserve and need grace, too.
Hebrews 4:16
Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
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