My word for 2021 is shift. Like everyone I know, I’ve learned a lot, since this time last year. One of the biggest things I’ve learned is that change and uncertainty just are. Since I’m not in control of much more than which yoga pants, Zoom-appropriate top, and slippers I’ll wear each day, I needed to figure out how I could deal with all the change and uncertainty. That’s where shifting comes in.

For me, shifts involve acceptance and adjustment. I know I don’t have much control, but I have unlimited choices. I can shift. 

Some of my recent shifts have been pretty significant. Some have been tiny. Some haven’t happened, yet. And I’m sure I’ll make a lot of shifts I can’t even imagine

My shift, for the past few weeks, has been to spend an hour or so in the mornings watching a female bluebird. She first caught my attention several weeks ago because I kept seeing her perched on the top of a chair in my yard – just like she is in two of the above images. The shift happened when I spotted her flying from her perch to the ground and then into the bluebird house, which you can also see in two of the images above.

Tom made this bluebird house a few years ago. This is the first year I’m consistently seeing it in use. Most days, the feeding and guarding goes on for hours. So, I’ve shifted my mornings to bear witness to the simply sacred cycle of life called Mother Nature. Yep, it’s a very good shift for me.

What kind of shift have you made lately?