One year, One word!

If 2019 was a word, it was TRUST. Some might call this “hokey,” but at the beginning of 2019, I KNEW that it would be a different year. I felt it. And a different year it was. A lot of good, bad, and indifferent things happened. And in many situations, the only thing I could do was trust that God had given me the direction and the resources to be able to do what I needed to. I love the idea of picking a word for the year, especially when that word is and can be used to drive you spiritually, physically, and mentally. I loved using the word trust over and over to remind myself that I could trust Him…and myself.

After much consideration, I chose the word ARISE for 2020. Nearing the end of 2019, I knew that this year would be full of change, challenges, and newness. And just like with all new things, there are periods of doubt, stress, worry, disappointment, and fear. Everyone understands the excitement and joy that comes with new things, but we also have to acknowledge that everything new is also hard. When things get hard, you have 2 choices: you can focus on how hard it is, how stressed you feel, and sit in your fear, or you can ARISE, GET UP, FIND A NEW WAY, LEARN A NEW THING, AND PRESS ON. I’m proactively choosing the latter.

The word ARISE is also special to me, because as an Enneagram personality Type 9, the word ARISE is my spiritual word. It is the word that I have to remind myself of when I want to let slothfulness rule my life. It is the word I have to remind myself of when I just don’t want to do what needs to be done. It is the word I use to empower myself to be freed from dead situations. While I don’t have any tattoos, if I had to chose just one to get, I would probably have the phrase “Talitha, Koum” somewhere on my body. Roughly translated, it means Little girl, arise (get up.) I feel that. I feel that I have been called to ARISE from so many dead situations…and you have too.

If you are a nursing student, there may be many moments where you have to pick yourself up. You will have to ARISE through the challenges. You are not one bad grade, one failed skills check-off, one clinical incident. You are so much more than that. Take the good with the bad. Learn from it. Do better tomorrow. And don’t ever, EVER, give up. “TALITHA, KOUM!” Little girl (and boy too!) ARISE!

You’ve got this,

A.G.