As I set up my calendar for the month, I select a quote I’ve found that speaks to me. I write it in my planner and leave space below it to capture phrases I hear or read that speak to me and relate to the quote. I found this practice centers me for the month, and helps me be more present in my conversations, meetings, and readings. For December 2021, the quote was “Tired of trying to cram her sparkly star-shaped self into society’s beige square holes, she chose to embrace her ridiculous awesomeness and shine like the freaking supernova she was meant to be.”
Heading into a holiday month centered on lights, from Hannukah’s festival of lights to the star of Bethlehem marking Jesus’ birth, the glitteriness of this quote literally caught my eye. As I read it, the words lit up my soul. The validation to shine bright as we are brought back memories of the Bible school song, “This little light of mine” which asked, “hide it under a bushel? No! I’m gonna let it shine.”
But as I centered on this quote during December, the quote shifted into more of a mantra as I headed into the new year. How did I want to be in 2022? Beige or sparkly? As the quote reverberated in me, here are some of the phrases I collected throughout the month:
- If it’s not merry, change it
- If you doubt something, doubt your limits
- Ask what’s needed
- Be the good
- Grace led
- Sadness is a beacon for love
- Rather than an earworm that gets stuck in your head, a caterpillar that gets in your soul and morphs into a butterfly
- Better is fragile, different is king
- Engrossed in praise
- Trust your knowing
- A non-standard approach to winning
- Trust and face the strange
- Holy is what happens when there is nothing between your belief and what you do
- Your brand lives inside conversations and aspirations
- Turn to your body with kindness and acceptance
- The new hotness
- Swears and prayers
- May your soul feel it’s worth
These quotes reinforced that for 2022, I want to be the most of me. Because, when I’m the most of me, I can give space, time, and resources to help others be their most. Their most creative. Their most comfortable. Their most confident. Their most compassionate.
To be the most of me, I need to be fit so I re-upped my trainer, got some new running gear, and have a plan for better eating (with a side of fries now and then!). To be the most of me, I need to be present in the moment so I signed up for Tara Brach’s 40-day habit building mindfulness challenge with two friends. To be the most of me, I need the support and resourcefulness of women executives so I set up monthly “girls chat” calls with five women in my network. To be the most me, I extended my monthly call with my career sponsor at work. To be the most of me, I need to help the community where I live so I joined the board of non-profit Living Vicky. To be the most of me, I need time away so I locked in my summer vacation beach cottage. To be the most of me, I need exposure to new ideas so I got recommendations for my reading list. To be the most of me, I need a lunch break each day for food and centering, so I blocked that time on my work calendar for the year. To be the most of me, I need an orderly home so I cleaned out drawers and closets and donated items to the Salvation Army. To be the most of me, I need to be in a community of faith so I re-upped on my church committee.
To be the most of me, I need to take care of me. Only then can I be the “freaking supernova” I was meant to be—and help others do the same.
What does your “sparkly star-shaped self” need to shine in 2022?
