If you follow along with us, you know that I (Molly) choose a word every year and I always say that I am constantly surprised by how that word shows up throughout the year, in unexpected ways. If you don't follow along, a quick refresh that the word this year is SPACE. This word really resonated with me for a few reasons, including the fact that I was in the process of changing my physical space with a move and my career space with a new job.
Now that we are halfway through the year, I thought it would be worth sharing some of the unexpected ways that SPACE has shown up for me this year.
It has shifted some habits: operating in new spaces, both physically and mentally, has allowed me to shift some habits, because my brain did not have a pile of evidence of "how things are supposed to be", which meant that I had the space to change habits, create new habits or shed old habits. One habit that has shifted for me is my sleep routine - I have moved from being a regular snooze button user and inconsistent with the time I go to bed and wake up, to being more consistent with my sleep routine. Allowing myself the space to reset some habits has improved my overall mental health and definitely improved my sleep routine!
I have leaned into curiosity WAY more this year: as someone who describes herself as a lifelong learner, I think that being curious is in my nature, and I have found that I am leaning more into it this year. That looks like asking more questions, seeking to understand and really pausing on judgment, which in turn has created more learning. By allowing the SPACE to be curious and not have to always be in action, I am finding the real energy around me.
It has empowered me in new ways: having SPACE has empowered me to be more empathetic, more resilient, more focused and more joyful. I have been more confident in saying no to things, in finding ways to get to yes on others and to trust myself, both personally and professionally. It constantly reminds me that I have the power to choose.
Don't get me wrong, there are days where it feels like I have little space in my calendar or little space in my brain, and yet just choosing the word this year has allowed me to come back to the idea of SPACE and ask myself how I am creating it, allowing it and valuing it.
One of the most valuable things that I have learned so far this year from my word being SPACE is that I have the ability to create it, define it, use it and enjoy it. I love that I have been able to explore new spaces, that I experience the joy in having space, that I am finding spaces that allow me to thrive and that I am learning how to create space for what I need.
I am certain that the second half of this year will bring new discoveries and that SPACE will continue to show up in unexpected ways, as long as I continue to allow myself the space to see it and receive it. What is one way that space can help you create what you want?