My 2020 Word of the Year: Reclamation
Reclaiming Your Life by Reclaiming Your Power
Reclaiming Your Life by Reclaiming Your Power
Just about every year, I choose a word or phrase as a theme to help guide my personal and business dealings throughout that year. Near the end of 2019, I decided that my word for 2020 would be “Reclamation.” It seemed as if that word just came to me, but I realized that it was actually the perfect word that also expressed my overcoming and succeeding after a few challenging years starting in 2017.
In 2017, due to circumstances mostly beyond my control, my business income plummeted by almost 80% from previous years. The first incident occurred in March 2017, and things just got worse as the year wore on. It was very difficult getting things back on track in 2018, and by the end of that year, things in my business were only marginally better.
In December of 2018, my beloved mother died; my father died in February of 2009. Even though she was ninety-four years old, she always said that she was going to live until the age of one hundred. Her health really only started deteriorating during the past couple of years before she died, so her passing still was really kind of a shock to our family.
However, even in the midst of my grief, I decided that I had to keep working to rebuild my businesses to their previous levels, and even beyond to higher growth and sustainability. It was a lot of very hard work, but I achieved my goal by the end of 2019.
There are many meanings for “Reclamation”
I found that if you search for the meaning of reclamation on the internet, the search results are mostly about “recycling,” or reclaiming the earth. While that may be true, for me, I am about reclaiming my power in all areas of my life. When you are empowered, and especially when you empower yourself, it means even more.
You are 100% Responsible for your life
Even though the drop in my business income was the result of outside factors and not business malfeasance on my part, the rebuilding was 100% dependent on my own actions and my own work. That understanding made me even stronger, more resilient, and more powerful. You reclaim your power when you recognize that you have the power to make the changes necessary.
What happens to you is not as important as how you respond to what happens to you.
Two of my favorite quotes by former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt encapsulate how you can reclaim your life and reclaim your power:
“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”
“A woman is like a tea bag; you never know how strong it is until it’s in hot water.”
If you let people and circumstances dictate how you live your life, you are giving those people and circumstances power over your life. One of the most important skills you can cultivate is how to stay calm in the storms that you will inevitably face.
Controlling your thoughts will put you more in control of your life
Your mind and your mindset can be your greatest allies as you reclaim your life and reclaim your power. You should keep your mind and your thoughts on the positive and stay in the present while looking toward the future. Living in the past, especially the painful or challenging parts of your past tends to make you feel powerless, just the opposite of your goal.
In what areas of your life can you reclaim your power?
You can reclaim your life by reclaiming your power in as many areas of your life as possible. Think of the times you felt weak and out of control, whether those feelings were caused by internal or external forces. What can you do to bring about the positive changes necessary for your own version of reclamation?
Do you think I made a good choice for my 2020 Word? If you choose a word for this year, what will it be?
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