Courage for 2023

It has been a tradition of mine for quite a few years now to have a “Word of the Year.” I always choose a word that helps root me when I feel adrift or reminds me of what is important.

It has been a way to keep me focused and give me direction. 

For me, 2022 was a year where the dust was settling from all the changes and challenges of COVID, and moving my family to a new farm. Overall, it has been a good year and I am so grateful for all that has gotten me here.

But regardless of having a relatively calm year, it was difficult for me to find my word for 2023. 

When I looked back on 2022 I realized that even though I didn’t have any big struggles to overcome, I still had big decisions to make. But instead of making decisions that would get me further, that would be a bigger step, I made decisions that kept my steps small.

I was afraid of the big decisions. I was uncomfortable with making them.

So I avoided them or took smaller actions which resulted in some self-sabotaging behaviors that kept my thinking and my actions small. 

Once I recognized this, I knew immediately what my word for 2023 needed to be.

COURAGE

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines Courage as “mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.”

I’ve heard it simplified to, “doing it even though you are afraid.”

Sometimes it is easier to have courage when there is a large dragon in front of you and your fight response kicks in. So you fight and you sweat and you make it happen even though you are afraid.

But when the dragon is defeated and you are left with a village that is half destroyed and a giant lizard to bury, well I'll just be over here for when the next dragon comes along. 

Because fighting a dragon is the easy decision to make. Of course I am going to stop the dragon from destroying everything I love.

But making the decision of where to rebuild the village library? That is a bit harder. When you rebuild you have new, long lasting decisions to make.

When you rebuild you are faced with the consequences of the fight.

Farming now feels scarier than it did before. There is no big dragon to conquer in order for me to farm. There is only my own actions. But what if my actions are the wrong ones? What if I’m not good enough? What if I don’t actually know what I am doing? 

Self-doubt hinders me far more than someone else telling me I can’t accomplish my goals.

So for 2023 I am going to have courage to make the big and little decisions. I will do it even though I am afraid.

I hope your 2023 is full of courage as well. 

Your Flower Farmer,

Heather Griffiths