Every January I have a feeling that the coming year could be a great year, maybe the best ever. I usually see January as a time of positive change. Last but not least, it’s my favorite month to organize and clean up! Even if my “resolutions” don’t bring any lasting change, I’ve at least tried something on and become more aware of aspects of myself.
This year is no different in how I feel. What has changed is that my father, who died six months ago, has thrown me into a surprisingly intense frenzy that I am only just beginning to work my way out of. I don’t have high expectations for 2022, but I still have a tiny bit of hope that I’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Merriam-Webster defines perseverance as “keep doing or trying to do something despite the difficulty”. These days, my definition of perseverance is to keep my chin above the metaphorical water until the level drops, so to speak.
Heading into the third year of the pandemic, I’m exhausted. are you First paralyzing fear and uncertainty, then hope for a return to normality, then the differences between us have intensified and divided, now there are bottlenecks again and everyone is sick, and what now? It is exhausting for us individually and collectively.
And so much loss in so many ways for so many of us. Grief and sadness abound, even as we shop, renovate, travel, enjoy, socialize, and act like we’re done with COVID-19—even if we’re not done with it. (Life and the experiences that come with it really never cease to fascinate me!)
For me, the last six months after my father’s death were among the most difficult and stressful of my life. It finally feels like I’m turning a corner. But in persevering I learned a lot:
– Perseverance sounds strong, noble and courageous, but it is anything but pretty. It’s more about what can I do to survive and advance? We may pull through, but we don’t always necessarily do it the way we intended, or perfectly, or gracefully. Rather not.
– Perseverance can take its toll. For the past six months, I have allowed myself to falter in ways that are detrimental to my well-being, such as: ) Even daily walking, my go-to place for grounding and clearing my head, has become an effort rather than a habit.
-Endurance often has no clear end point. It’s one thing to achieve a goal, e.g. B. Running a marathon with a specific end date or result. It’s another thing surviving a pandemic or the loss of a loved one or a breakup when knowing a specific ending is impossible. It can feel endless. But, as I often tell myself, that too shall pass.
So for this year, alongside our New Year’s resolutions, our 30-day resets, our optimism, hope, and relief at surviving 2021, how about committing, resolving, and appreciating our remarkable capacity for perseverance? Now let’s accept what this year has in store for us, know that we will most likely experience the good, the bad, and the ugly, and know that we can only control how we react and nothing more.
Let’s face the challenges, welcome the good moments and show ourselves for all of this in the best possible way. Let’s be compassionate and patient with ourselves and others. We have amazing stamina, we are stronger than we think we can and we can handle so much more than we give ourselves credit for!
Happy New Year 2022. . . I’m ready, are you?
— By Pritam Potts
Coach Pritam Potts is a writer and strength coach. After training athletes and clients of all ages for more than 16 years as co-owner of Edmonds-based Advanced Athlete LLC, she now resides in Dallas, Texas. At www.advancedathlete.com she writes about health & fitness, grief & loss, love & life.
