Annemarie Ward - Headstrong and Heartstrong
Annemarie is a heart transplant recipient and American Heart Association, volunteer. Watch her story in this video.
Does the New Year seem daunting to anyone? I will admit with the new decade here, I feel I am putting an immeasurable amount of pressure on myself to accomplish various goals. I will openly admit that it is quite intimidating. I have heard of people choosing a “word” or “phrase” to set the course of their year. I thought it would be fun to spark conversation on words or phrases, which are going to inspire your year. I want to be motivated by others and hear not just your word or phrase, but your reasoning for choosing it. I feel by doing this, it will help make the year not as daunting to face, because you can fall back on your special phrase to get you through. I have decided to choose the word “headstrong.” I chose this word, because I am a rather timid individual who overthinks, before finally making a choice. I am afraid to get out of my comfort zone and afraid to leave my boundaries. I like knowing what is safe and doing things I can handle. My reasoning for always wanting to stay in the safe zone, was due to my heart disease I experienced during adolescence. I was always under close watch and told never to push myself. This mindset has trickled over into my adult life and has stopped me from a lot of different opportunities. Headstrong according to Oxford Dictionaries is defined as, “self-willed and obstinate.” I know stubborn or “obstinate” can have a negative connotation, but according to an article by EliteDaily.com titled, “Stubbornness Is... A Good Thing? 5 Reasons Your 'Faulty' Quality Is Actually Beneficial” there are some interesting benefits. Some of these benefits include being confident in decision making, persevering through adversity, and not letting other opinions or negative comments sway your choices. It is to know what you want and go after it with full force. These are all attributes, I could improve on.
Personal goals that require my being self-willed is choosing a diet and doing exercises that will lower my blood pressure (yes, at 26 years old I have high blood pressure). I want to possibly pursue getting a master’s degree and travel to learn about various cultures and people. These are all things that are out of my comfort zone! I am terrified. I constantly seek the opinions of others, rather than make the choice myself. However, I must persist and be headstrong, if I ever want to achieve these goals and have the healthiest life possible. I understand that having heart disease or health issues can stunt some of your goals and dreams. However, I genuinely believe that there are always goals that are terrifying, but attainable. Even for those experiencing heart disease. They can be big or small, whether it is finishing a series of books, trying a new recipe, or finishing school. Choose your word, make it your mission statement, and be the biggest advocate for YOURSELF. In addition, do not make an overwhelming list of goals, choose three to ten that are out of your comfort zone, but manageable. Pick your word or phrase and stay true to that! I plan to go into 2020 headstrong and not let anything stop by path to success. I know you can as well.
