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.

A friend and I recently shared a powerful conversation. We were sitting in a room of my home where we could see Lake Waccamaw, in all its splendor. Parts of our conversation were very tender. Several of the tender parts were shifted when we spotted local ducks eating breakfast.

These ‘duck butt’ moments became a mantra for us. We admitted that even the most tender of life’s experiences and emotions can shift when we notice life doing what it does best – getting on with it.

Then and there, I decided to look for more duck butts – for the things happening around me that shift me back to what’s in front of me. Balancing what’s happening right now with what I’m regretting in my past and what I’m fearing in my future seems a healthy and shifting balance indeed.

What kind of shifts have you experienced or witnessed lately?