The year 2021 is coming to a close. And what a challenging, trying, curious and unusual 18 months it has been – personally and globally.

What many of us got to do in this time is slow down and re-think our priorities.

What does really matter to us in life?

When everything is stripped away, social life, office life, cultural life, … what remains?

I have been extremely lucky with the country I chose 5 years ago to live in – Australia – and even more so the city where I live – Canberra.

I remember sitting on a balcony in Queensland in December 2020, looking over a few homes, rainforest and the ocean at the horizon with a wide friendly sky reaching over me.

I was reflecting back on my crazy year and trying to envision what the next one would bring.

For 2020, I had had 2 words of the year – adventure & dream life.

For 2021, I again wanted a guiding light. Something simple and clear. New Year’s resolutions just don’t work for me and I tend to come up with too many of them and stretch myself into all kinds of directions.

And so, I decided to have one word of the year this time.

When I was working from home from March to July 2020, I realised how much I was missing having people around me. Spending time with people – simply being with friends – is one of my 5 non-negotiables. I need it like air to feel like myself.

And as I was sitting on that balcony in Queensland with the laughing of a kookaburra in the background I knew that having left my job a few days earlier and working from home and for myself from now on could potentially isolate me even more.

I decided to counteract this from the beginning.

I decided to put a whole heap of effort into meeting people and being with COMMUNITY, to schedule social get-togethers and coffee dates, work-out dates and phone calls for every day of the week to get my people-fix.

I knew that loneliness is one of the most debilitating feelings that humans can experience.

“Researchers have found that loneliness is just as lethal as smoking 15 cigarettes per day. Lonely people are 50% more likely to die prematurely than those with healthy social relationships.” (Inc.com)

And

The happiest people in the world socialise for 6 hours per day (Dan Buettner, The Blue Zones of Happiness)

And so, my word of the year for 2021 became:

COMMUNITY.

And I couldn’t have chosen a better one.

How does having a word of the year work?

Having a single word of the year is like an intention you set for the year.

It becomes your guiding light.

It becomes an intention of the heart.

It helps and supports you in making decisions, setting up your days, your week or even whole year.

It supports you in seeking out new opportunities and in putting your attention on those things in life that truly are aligned.

Keeping your word of the year visible in form of a poster, the cover of your journal, a phone background, and with time at the front and top, left right and centre of your mind guarantees that you follow the intention you have set.

It helps you live life more intentionally, with more awareness and conscious participation in your one, unique lifetime.

How did my word of the year COMMUNITY guide me in 2020?

I am truly so grateful for having chosen this word.

Below I am sharing a few little stories that have come to be thanks to it.

I joined a movement studio

I had been eye-ing this “gym” for about 1.5 years before I finally made it to an open day. For all this time, I had been seeing them create fancy forms with their bodies, demonstrate their strength, mobility, handstands, joy and playfulness on Instagram – and I wanted in. Finally, I made it to one of their open days and the two classes I joined only made a small contribution to my decision to join. I’d say there were 3 parts to my decision, plus one gigantic drop that tipped it all over to a definite Hell Yes. Part 1 was the movement itself. Part 2 was the wisdom the teachers shared that went beyond the exercise, the practice and movement. The teachers easefully weaved in wisdoms about the mind and life itself into their teachings and I loved it. Part 3 was the community. One of the teachers told me how much this studio is about the COMMUNITY and the people who come. Today I know that building a COMMUNITY centre was part of the inspiration for this space. Other students told me how amazing the people are and the word I heard over and over again was COMMUNITY. I easily saw the connection to my word of the year.

The gigantic drop that tipped it all into a Hell Yes was … a street sign. When I left the studio on the open day and walked back to my car, my eyes fell onto a street sign of a street close by: Kalma Way. I had to laugh and giggle. When I lived in Sweden from 2014 - 2016, I was looking for COMMUNITY as well and I ended up joining and volunteering for a student association called Kalmar Nation (named after a Swedish city). I volunteered there for 1.5 years and had the best time of my life. This street sign was the last sign I needed from the universe to join the movement studio and I haven’t looked back since.

I continued saying “good morning” to people on my morning walk

This is a habit I adopted in 2020, when we were first working from home. By 2021, there were a solid 3 people who said good morning to me, too, every day we saw each other. We even began waving good morning to each other when we saw each other on opposite sides of the streets. They began honking at me from their car when they saw me walking in their neighbourhood. And one of them even gave me her number and invited me over for tea and cookies – We chatted for 3 hours and I walked home with an arm full of basil plants, parsley and a lemon grass stem for replanting on my balcony.

I made new friendships

Not only for my business but also for my word of the year did I attend more and more events in Canberra. I tried out free yoga classes, went to more markets, went to networking events, a book club and more. And I made friendships, met more people, made connections and felt at home being with people and COMMUNITY. Sometimes it can be scary or intimidating to meet new people. But in the end, we all have the same fears, dreams and desires. We are longing for belonging, striving for connection and happiness and joy and meaning. We are trying to make sense of this human experience and this crazy ride on this random rock racing through dark space. Making friends along the way makes it all just so much more worth it.

I filled my social calendar

Not only that – I had it as a to-do in my calendar to fill my social calendar. I would sit down at a dedicated time, message friends and organise meetings, catch-ups, phone calls, research events on Facebook and fill my calendar with 1 social engagement per day durign the week and with 2 social engagements per day on weekends – except for my menstrual phase which I want to honour by slowing down and going inward. I made an effort. For a while, I used a calendar specifically dedicated to my social life and therefore my word of the year – COMMUNITY. I made an effort. I didn’t wait for this to happen on its own – because it turns out that in most cases I am the one making the connection and inviting people to hang out.

I found back to myself

But about 3 months into 2021, I nearly “gave up” on my word of the year COMMUNITY for a few weeks. Why? I was frustrated. Why? Because somehow it looked like it was always me making the move. It was always me making a connection, messaging someone, asking if they wanted to get together. I was frustrated. I was annoyed. Didn’t people want to hang out with me? Was I so uncool or unwanted? (Oh, dear ego, you are so sweet and innocent and dumb sometimes. But it’s okay.) So, there I was, being frustrated. What did I do? Nothing. I stopped messaging people. I waited to be invited (after all, also my Human Design tells me to wait for the invitation). I waited for someone else to make the move. Well, they didn’t. I got more miserable after just a week or two. Why? Because I wasn’t with COMMUNITY and people. And that was on me: I had cut community out of my life by being a little silly and childish and stubborn.

And then, one Saturday morning, I read my travel journey from 2009/2010 when I first came to Australia. And there it was. The evidence. Constantly I came across sentences along the lines of, “and then I met this person and they seemed nice, so I walked over and talked to them”, “I asked them if they wanted to travel together”, “I gave them my email address”, “I called them”, etc. And never – not once – did I feel a hint of resentment. There it was, right in front of me. This was me. This was who I am. I make the connection in most cases. And that is okay. And this is how I found back to myself. And I also saw the power that comes with me seeking COMMUNITY: I get to choose when I want to connect and with who.

I found back to myself and honoured my word of the year more than before. And this is where I felt more and more flow – and more like myself.

I also felt a bigger hit when Canberra went into lockdown

This is somewhat of a negative element here but I felt it was powerful to share anyway. When we went to work from home in 2020, I was relieved. I was working in a job that I was deeply unhappy with and I was glad to be separated from it physically. During that time I started my blog which turned into my whole new way of being, working and serving as a life coach. This year, when Canberra suddenly went into lockdown on 10 August, 5pm – it hit me. I was unsettled. I was surprised to see how much it affected me this time. I wasn’t panicking and didn’t buy into the whole panic buying mentality – but I felt an impact on my happiness right away. I had gotten into a really good groove of meeting people nearly every day, moving my body, being out and about while balancing this whole lot with stillness in yoga, meditation and reflecting. I had found my sweet spot.

And then “swoosh”, the carpet was pulled out from under my feet and I landed somewhat uncomfortably on my bum for a few days. I felt it in my heart, my chest. A sense of sadness and being upset and feeling a little alone.

At the same time, I was awake enough to observe myself, my emotions, thoughts and reactions and simply appreciate all the wisdom within them. Sometimes we only get to see what’s truly valuable to us once we lose it. But sometimes, we are very much aware of our luck and grateful for the life we’ve build – and still miss it even more – when it’s gone. The art was in adjusting and finding my sense of okay-ness with this separation. I found myself deep in studying, coaching and deep inner work.

But the word COMMUNITY was still with me every day: I relentlessly organised phone calls with friends, tea dates via zoom with study colleagues, check in on friends, meet friends as soon as we were allowed to with easing restrictions, and making deeper connections with my neighbour who I went for walks with nearly every during the lockdown.

I chose a coaching course

I decided to sign up for a coaching course based on the COMMUNITY it promised. The COMMUNITY that this coaching training is targeted at is that of heart-centred women who want to deeply serve the world. I have met many inspiring women through this experience and am so glad to have been able to surround myself with like-minded people. And it was this very course that helped so many of us to stay afloat during this unexpectedly dragging pandemic. It gave us a safe haven for our skill learning, but also a routine, a supportive COMMUNITY and a purpose – to some of us it gave a reason to get up in the morning. From this course, I invited many women to have one-on-one chats with me, zoom tea dates, two of them asked me to coach them and one has forwarded me a client. We stick together. That’s what COMMUNITY does.

COMMUNITY was my word of the year and I hold it so close to my heart and dear to my soul.

It’s become a way of being for me and something I want to deepen further, cultivate more and more and more in the coming years.

It’s about nourishing the relationships we already have while also widening our horizon and meeting new people. It’s a balance between feeling an inner sense of connection to others and to the self AND being connected tangibly to other people.

The word COMMUNITY was my guiding light this year. And I am so grateful for it. It was an intention I set on this Queensland balcony and it’s shaped my year in many ways that otherwise would not have happened.

Key is that I made an effort. Key is that I made a commitment. Key is also, that I simply practised awareness.

Soon, I will share with you what my word will be for next year. Stay tuned!

PS. Do you want to have a word for next year? Do you want to live next year with more guidance, intention and focus? Are you sick of making New Years’ Resolutions that don’t stick? Do you want to find a concept that lets you deeply connect to yourself and your life? I have cooked up a small beautiful little offer for you. I would love to support and coach you on your word for the year 2022.

Your Word Of The Year 2022:

Worksheet to begin playing with what your word of the year 2022 could be
1x 90 mins coaching to dive deeper on the meaning, to let your soul and heart express themselves, to look at what you are craving missing, wanting to create
1x 45 mins follow up session 3 weeks later
creating ideas on how to live your word of the year
quarterly e-mail check-ins throughout 2022
video teaching on the power of having a word of the year
and more
Make 2022 your year here.

PPS. Whenever you’re ready…

If you want to get clearer on your purpose, learn to love yourself, find the courage to step into your vision and make a difference in the world – let’s have a powerful non-binding conversation! I know you are here for a reason and I’d love to support you further. My support looks like this: You talk. You tell me about your dreams and your struggles. I listen. We play. Your life changes.

I’ve seen it time and time again. I’m ready when you are.

PPPS. If you loved this blog post, please share the love with a friend you know would benefit from it. Send it to them via WhatsApp, email it to them, text it to them, ... Whatever you've got to do to get this in their hands. ✨

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