Thrive

Thrive: 

intransitive verb

1: to grow vigorously : FLOURISH

2: to gain in wealth or possessions : PROSPER

3: to progress toward or realize a goal despite or because of circumstances —often used with on

My word for 2021 is Thrive. I typically begin my year with a new year tarot spread, that helps guide me to my theme and word of the year. Originally last year, I was thinking Trust would be the word because it felt like an integral layer to my development in 2020, that would lead well into 2021. But I realized that was one of my words of 2019. And more than trust, this year I want to thrive. 

I have been going through some major transitions in my life this past year. I am becoming more and more settled in Ottawa, in my career and home. I have been feeling more and more solidified in my values and what I want my life to look like moving forward. Change continues to be on the horizon for me and I am finally in a place where I feel fully open to accepting it. 

2020 was an intense and challenging year. It brought about great change in the world and for me, personally. I know that the beginning of 2021 feels a lot like the same of what we have all been dealing with, with the 2nd wave of the pandemic in full swing. But this is different. We can see the finish line now. Vaccines are being rolled out and likely by the end of this year we will have a very different landscape and way of living again. We may even have some semblance of pre-COVID normalcy and be able to physically be together again in society. Regardless of whether it means we still need to exercise precautions such as mask-wearing and rapid-testing, I still feel very hopeful.

On a personal note, I will officially be an employee of Accenture on March 1st of this year. This is an exciting new chapter for me, working in a multinational, multimillionaire organization where the list of opportunities is endless and presents me with a simultaneously thrilling and daunting new venture. I am choosing to thrive.

I also would love to be able to buy a home for myself this year. Something I never even thought I would do. It excites me to envision finding my home, the place I will create for myself, a safe haven to unwind in at the end of the day. I cannot wait to have my own place to make truly mine. Achieving this goal represents the natural next step for me in committing to the life that I have chosen for myself here in Ottawa. It is an opportunity for me to finally feel like a grown up, as I am a bit of a late bloomer in that regard. Securing a home-base for myself, as a completely independent endeavor represents freedom for me in many ways. I will then have more agency with how I live my day to day life, how I choose my surroundings and how I distinguish myself and my values separately from those of my loved ones. I can see so many possibilities for myself.

Although we are currently in a lockdown, and we may be a far distance away from being fully back together in the world again, I still feel hopeful for this year. The BLM movements and initiatives for diversity and inclusion that continue to thrive across North America and the new president having claimed office on Wednesday of last week, bring forth optimism and positive change. 

The storm is beginning to clear, we still have a ways to go, but I can see the faintest glimpse of a rainbow at the end of it all.