The 2021 Word of the Year is perseverance or the ‘relentless trudge of determination leading to the path of enlightenment’.
The Cambridge Dictionary has named ‘perseverance’ as its 2021 Word of the Year. The word was looked up more than 243,000 times on their website this year, the first time it has made a notable appearance.
And what a wonderful 2021 Word of the Year! With such an incredibly inspiring meaning!
Perseverance
Noun: ‘continued effort to do or achieve something, even when this is difficult or takes a long time’.
Is it inspiring? Or is the act of perseverance a ludicrous notion thought up purely by those who remain determined to keep going even when the path is long and difficult to navigate?
You decide.
So, let’s ponder on the how’s and why’s of people ‘tuning in’ to this word on mass over the last year while you make your decision. What are they searching for when they type this word into the Cambridge Dictionary search bar? Could it be for spell check reasons? Unlikely. Is it really for inspiration? Possibly.
Or is it that the population need some reassurance they are throwing enough juice and energy into their lives to persevere, survive and thrive in this strange new world we have found ourselves within?
Words hold power. Spoken or sung, written or spun in any language or script, words have a huge impact. They can make us or break us. They can turn something negative into something positive and vice versa. They link us together and serve as a means of communication that can spread like wildfire across the planet. Choose your words carefully my friends. The power behind them has repercussions and you must always be prepared for the consequences!
On an energetic level, each word holds a vibration and perhaps the vibration across our globe right now is one of ‘perseverance’.
We have experienced a seismic shift due to COVID-19 that no one could have foreseen (except perhaps the soothsayers amongst us) leading to a global change in consciousness. One that has created determination and persistence to push ‘onward and upward’ despite the hardships, challenges and changes we have faced as a collective.
There is no doubt some of the words associated with ‘perseverance’ have resonated with us all at some point in the last year or two.
Endurance. Patience. Fortitude. Strength and Courage.
Each word reflects the physical or emotional attribute required for us to move forward when the going gets tough. We all love a good story of perseverance. The stories we hear of people that succeed in life using strength and courage to overcome any obstacles or setbacks they may encounter along the way.
Despite all the odds stacked against them, they keep going, keep moving forward and push on with the sheer force of will until they reach their goal or destination. These are the people that shine brightly and give us the hope that we too can follow our dreams, survive the curveballs of life, and eventually stand on the winner’s podium holding our gold medal above our heads, grinning with pride.
These are the people that have patience and persistence. They never give up and they never surrender.
Constructing any type of flat-packed furniture from a cardboard box requires perseverance. Juggling a household, caring for your children, running a business, meeting the deadline at work, waking up with happy thoughts each day, getting to the gym at least twice a week. All require perseverance.
The list is endless.
And perhaps this is the reason why so many people are typing the word ‘perseverance’ into the search engine. They want to see what this word requires from them to achieve the ultimate goal, the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
Achievement.
With drive and determination, you can achieve anything they say! Yes, you can! But only if you act on your ideas and dreams, avoid procrastination (another fabulous word), and get out of bed without fear or hesitation that the world is going to consume you and keep moving forward with grit and gumption.
Life shouldn’t need to be a hard slog that feels like a constant uphill struggle. But sometimes it can certainly feel that way. Especially if we lose our way on the path we originally intended to take. Perseverance, despite the odds stacked against us, gives us the edge to make the difference. To make each day count.
If we are willing to learn, bend and transform during this incredible journey through life, we can find a sense of happiness and achievement. And the people that inspire and empower us the most are always the ones that decide not to give up, give in and blame everyone and everything else in this world as the reason for failure.
They are the people with perseverance, and they are the ones who no doubt googled its meaning and decided that they would ‘continue with the effort to do or achieve something, even when it was ridiculously difficult and took a long time to achieve.
They are the inspiration, the light, and the support we all look for when life begins to feel dull and difficult. And this same determination is within us all. We just need to dig deep. Trust, believe and receive.
With Love and Fairy Blessings
TJ Gristwood
