What is Your Word for 2022?
My word for 2021 was Trailguide – and then ultimately became Trailguide Gardener.
The image of me embodying a trailguide is deeply tied to my early college experiences backpacking in the New Hampshire White Mountains in BOLT (Brown Outdoor Leadership Training) as a BOLT participant, then BOLT group leader, and then BOLT leader trainer. This was the first time I was exposed to the kind of leadership I now have such a deep need and affinity for. The kind of leadership I admire, long to be led by, and desire to model for others.
As a BOLT leader and trailguide, this didn’t necessarily mean that I was always in front of the group. In fact, I often was in the middle or at the very rear of the group, intentionally connecting with each individual and perspective on our team – from beside, behind, and sometimes in front. In those early years I learned the power and importance of stepping back to empower others to step up. I learned the power of extending trust to others so that they could learn to trust themselves.
In 2021, my intention was to serve not only as the steady guiding and inspiring presence of a trailguide, with a clear vision of the potential that lies ahead, but also to spread and plant seeds like a gardener. To not only step back and encourage the growth of others, but to also marvel at the beauty and wonder of planting seeds that will eventually blossom into a field of vibrant wildflowers.
When I look back on 2021, I have done this. 2021 felt like embarking on a BOLT trip. Starting off at the base of the trail, squeaky clean boots and brand new pack, full of hope and excitement for the journey to come. There were definite rough spots, times when I wasn’t sure we were going to get across that gushing river with our 40-pound packs balanced on our heads, or manage to scale up that cliff without someone getting hurt. But we made it. And we created true beauty along the way and planted seeds that have begun to sprout from the ground.
There was a definite churning and grind to 2021. At times it felt exhausting, with muscles aching, blisters stinging, and rain pouring from above. Yet in the end, we made it down from the top of the mountain. And while dirty, covered in mud, hungry and tired, it also feels so good to be done. So good to kick off those boots that feel molded to our feed, take off our socks, and cool off our aching feet in the cool stream.
When I think about what I want 2022 to be about, I think there is a definite desire and craving for less churn, less grind, less aching. Maybe less pushing, and more resting. Still deeply motivated but with less of this insatiable striving to do more and be more. To have more peace, but always with depth and deep purpose.
The word that is resonating for me is “Root” – and for me even more resonant is “Taking Root.” To me, this feels like really digging into the soil and the ground, getting my hands and whole body in there, and allowing those seeds of 2021 to really take root, flourish, and grow. To watch the little seedlings become a young tree, and someday a giant grandfather redwood tree.
This process takes years. A lifetime. Several lifetimes. I think this metaphor is fitting for what I want to be a part of for years to come – to be part of creating a kinder culture and practice of medicine for us all, and for our future generations.
What was your word for 2021? What is your word for 2022? What do you want this New Year to be about?
Tammie
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