Word of 2021 - 氣

Embodied but Abandoned Words for 2021

mercury

Cons: made me feel agitated (mercurial!) Pros: matched how I felt—very busy these days, lots of activity, implied focus on commerce and communication

bonsai

Cons: too deliberate and an attempt at manipulating nature/circumstances, finicky Pros: beautiful, balance of divergence and convergence

chief

Cons: vulnerable to the trappings of judging oneself by success/failure Pros: regal, a good sense of self-worth

evergreen

Cons: broad-stroked, too static Pros: calming

bamboo

Cons: awkward to incorporate into daily language, perhaps too “sprouty” and out-of-control Pros: implied prolific and multi-purpose nature

root

Cons: too entangled, too secluded and dark Pros: grounding, implied direction towards nourishing qualities/habits and moving away from non-nourishing ones, implied investigation of one’s ancestral roots