📍World Trade Center Transit Hub, NYC
Hi everyone! I hope you're having a great start to 2021!! You may remember that last year for the first time I chose a word for the year, and for 2020 I chose "wholehearted". For me this meant I wanted to focus on being "all in" for whatever I signed up for. I learned this year that it's not really possible or sometimes healthy to give 100% to everything I do all of the time. I learned that prioritizing when to give it all to certain areas of life made being wholehearted more realistic. For example, I'll put my 100% effort into running during the cross country season, and during races and workouts, but it's not healthy to give 100% effort on easy runs.
au·then·tic: of undisputed origin; genuine.
I chose authentic to be my word for the year for 2021 because I want to focus on being authentically myself without caring what others think, and yet aware of how being myself can be beneficial to those around me.
I've realized, and am of course constantly realizing, that by not being myself I am damaging the relationships I have with those in my life and myself. Expressing my emotions and inspirations as what they truly are will allow the right people to come into my life, and the relationships will be beneficial on both ends, since we will both be genuinely contributing to each other.
Also, by authentically expressing my emotions and what I want to change about myself and the world, I can change the world bit by bit for the better!
People are attracted to people that make them feel good. Loved, seen, noticed, understood. I can only make people feel like that if I'm letting God do the same in me, and if this is how He made to be, then this is how I'm going to benefit others. I read this thing on Pinterest (surprise lol) that said, "in the end, people won't remember what you did, but how you made them feel,". This isn't to say that actions don't matter, just that the sad truth is that sometimes relationships are defined by words more than actions. I aspire to make people I meet feel seen and valued, whether or not we agree or fit together.
Lately I've been reading the book of Judges in my Bible, and Judges 7:4-7 hit me hard! It says:
"4 But the Lord said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will thin them out for you there. If I say, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go; but if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.” 5 So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the Lord told him, “Separate those who lap the water with their tongues as a dog laps from those who kneel down to drink.” 6 Three hundred of them drank from cupped hands, lapping like dogs. All the rest got down on their knees to drink. 7 The Lord said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the others go home.”
This struck me because it shows how we don't have to show off our faith, we just have to be authentic about expressing our faith. That doesn't mean we have to force faith onto everyone we meet, just that we should be honest about what we believe and why. Not apologetic, confident, and yet open minded and quick to listen! Authenticity!!
What is your word for the year?? Do you like choosing them?
Be sure to check out the most recent video for more explanation!!
❤️
Episode 126: https://youtu.be/WVj909nhLKI
My Channel: (Edith Noble) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnXXLYRl1ImCPHpCqeFdilg