I don’t make New Year’s resolutions because I believe we can resolve to change at any moment. But in each New Year, I do choose a word to reassure and guide me in the coming months. In 2017 and 2018 my word was beauty. In 2019, it was balance.
Right before Christmas, my 2020 word came to me. It was unseasonably warm and glorious in Iowa, and I was headed out for a walk. As I reached the bottom of Mom’s driveway, I saw a flicker of green in my mind’s eye—a flame-like sparkle that I continue to carry with me. My mind immediately went to Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) and her concept of the greening of life, or Viriditas. I admit that I have yet to go deep in the writings of this Medieval thinker, but through the years I’ve gleaned a little knowledge of her philosophy of medicine, her music, and her spirituality.
I understand Viriditas as one’s innate power to heal oneself. Although I first “saw” this green energy in my third eye, I believe this fire resides in my heart and that it is expressed through the work I do in the world. Before that moment in the driveway, I’d pondered Viriditas, but until then, I hadn’t felt it. As I move into 2020, I hold Viriditas, waiting to see where it takes me, how it molds me, and what it teaches me.
How do you welcome the New Year?
Inspirations
Dr. Victoria Sweet’s Ted Talk The Efficiency of Inefficiency
I too have an operative word for 2020. For numerous reasons, my daily life had not been very organized and productive in 2019. I believe the root cause was a lack of structure. I have always had structure in my life whether it was imposed from outside sources or internally. 2019 saw my self-imposed structure slip away. So, I start my journey into 2020 with an intention to once again structure my daily life.