FORGE

 

A few years back, I jumped on the bandwagon of selecting one word for each new year that would replace the typical New Year Resolution. I found that I was unsuccessful at sticking with my resolutions because they were so specific and I would inevitably fall off track and lose sight of the purpose very quickly. The act of choosing one word, however, provided me a more general pathway to accomplishing goals and so I decided to give it a shot. Truth be told, the process has actually kept me focused throughout the year and I feel more fulfilled because I am able to focus on how the word gets me to where I want to go. This year, my one word is #Forge. Forge is a verb that means to make or shape (a metal object) by heating it in a fire or furnace and beating or hammering it. It also can mean create, whether referring to a relationship or new conditions. I was drawn to this word because when you apply fire or heat to many circumstances, you have the potential to generate conditions that foster creativity and growth. Yes, you do also have the opportunity to get burned, but if you do, you learn from it and you don't do it again.

Each of us has a fire within us that can get stoked when we are engaged in something we are passionate about. The problem however, is that many of us find ourselves just going through the motions and don't feed our fire. When this is done, we really don't have an opportunity to forge because the flame that is being generated isn't enough to maintain the necessary conditions for growth or creativity. Keeping this in mind, the process of forging requires first that we feed and fuel our fire before we can even attempt to begin the process of forging. This is the reason I chose this word for 2021. 

As an educator, administrator, and human, I realize that there are two types of fires. I am pretty adept at putting out the bad kind on a daily basis in my professional life. These can be student behavior issues, parental concerns, or staff conflict. I have honed my practice over time to remain calm and extinguish them in a fashion that is confidential and doesn't allow them to get out of control. While doing this, however, I expend a lot of energy and I forget to tend to the good kind of fires that burn inside each of us and ignite our passions. Both sets of fires allow us to forge, however, the bad kind beat and hammer us into cold and distant people, while the good fires allow us to grow and expand our horizons and open up to us new possibilities that we may not have seen before. The key is striking a balance between the two fires so we can forge ahead.

I'm looking for a controlled burn in 2021 where I can balance the good and bad in order to create opportunities that may have been hidden before. If COVID has done anything positive for me, it has allowed me to do some really deep, personal reflection about what I like and don't like about myself and ways that I can improve as a human being. I've identified what my passions are and I am committing to forging them into something that will allow me to be a better version of myself. In the process, I am sure that I am going to discover faults and experience some failures, but I will use them to forge ahead towards my destination. I don't know where it will lead me, but it is going to be one hell of a ride.

#FORGE #ONWARD