Word of the Year 2020: Did I BLOOM?

Last year, my word of the year was BLOOM. 

You can read about my word reveal here and my six month update here.

In January, I didn't really know how Bloom was going to apply in my life. I had just inherited some plants, so I thought I would learn more about plants and that is it. I didn’t  realized how applicable that Bloom actually was going to be. 

I learned a lot about myself, just like everyone else, in 2020. Who knew bloom would be so applicable?!

These are some of the ways I bloomed this year:

You can miss something and not want them back/// 

Like most people, I've lost some things along the way in life and I used to think that if those things wandered back into your life randomly, they were meant to be there, permanently. That was always my thought- I was optimistic about these missing things coming home but I never really put too much thought into it until some things did come back into my life and I realized that they weren't what I remembered them as and they (on no fault on either party) changed- which is what is expected as you grow. 

In the past I would accept these things back into my life and most times I would not be happy- what I remembered was not what they were in the present. In 2020, I took a stand (metaphorically) and asked myself, why am I accepting things that are not what I want in my life? I realized sometimes having the memories is better than having the thing that has changed.  I want myself to be happy- truly happy; why should I settle for things that do not make me happy?

Watching your money grow, is really empowering///

I always thought that I had a good handle on money. I understood it, I knew what I needed to do with it and I understood how to invest it. It was until I moved back home after breaking off my engagement and I had very little money left in my account and lots of debt, I realized I did not have the understanding about money I thought I did. I sat down with my mom and we devised a plan and I knew I had to stick to this plan to be able to support myself at some point. Little by little, paycheck by paycheck, I stuck with the plan and I was able to pay off my debt, and start putting money into my savings account. 

I reconfigured my savings plan once my debt was paid off. I made savings a priority and  as I saw my account, grow little by little each month, it make me really happy. I did this, and this is all mine. Since August 2019, my little account has grown and my thoughts around money have changed. 

I no longer look at money as something I need to use ALL.THE.TIME. I LOVE looking at it sitting in my bank account, accruing interest each month.  I hope to continue to let it grow for a little longer and then start in on my financial goals.

and finally, I think the most important: 

Blooming late is better than blooming when you are not ready///

I am a late bloomer. There I said it. It has taken me a very long time to realize this fact. I have always questioned, for many years- why am I not doing XYZ or why is not XYZ happening for me? I never understood until this year, I set out with Bloom and really focus on it. I am not meant to follow the normal path that most people my age have followed. 

There is a flower, Titan Arum or better known as the corpse flower because of the awful stink that the flower emits when it is blooming. This flower only blooms once every few years and some only bloom a few times in a decade. This flower is not a late bloomer, it is just following its own path. That is one thing I've always done- follow my own path. I am going to continue to follow my own path and bloom at my own pace.

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This past year was 100% hard but I am so thankful for this year. I have had time to reflect and slow down and understand what is happening. 2020 gave me something I have always wanted, clarity on life and while I may not have figured everything out just yet, I know for the most part, I understand what I am doing and the path that I am supposed to be on. 

In closing, my word of the year for 2020 Bloom was 100% applicable and I totally bloomed this year and I will continue to bloom for years to come. I am so thankful for 2020 for showing me that even though you might think you are losing the race, you are winning one better than you could ever have imagined. 

Thank you 2020, you sucked but you had some really bright spots. 

[The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all- Mulan]