My Word for the Year: TEAMWORK

My word for the year is TEAMWORK.

And that might not sound revolutionary, but for me, it is.

The truth is, I moved out at fifteen. For most of my life, I really did do it alone. There were no parents to help babysit. No siblings to lean on. No soft place to land. In fact, my family represented pain, and being “on the team” often meant being a team player in ways that required me to abandon myself.

So I chose independence.

I learned how to be capable. How to figure things out. How to carry the weight myself. And for a long time, that wasn’t just strength — it was survival.

I even wore it proudly.

I raised my girls alone. I paid for everything. I handled it. And somewhere along the way, that story became a badge of success. Proof that I could do hard things. Proof that I didn’t need anyone.

But what I can see now is that doing it alone came with a cost.

It shaped my marriage. It shaped how I lead. It shaped how hard it still is for me to let people all the way in — even when they’re capable, even when they care, even when they’re already standing right there.

I still catch myself assuming I’m the captain of the team.

Ugh.

And yes, in many ways, I am. But being the captain doesn’t mean doing all the rowing.

Last night, something simple brought all of this into focus. I went into the city to celebrate my friend Nicole’s birthday, and we decided that this year isn’t just about sitting at restaurants eating. This year is about experiences.

So we made candles.

We chose our essential oils. We mixed them slowly. We laughed. And then we were asked to name our candles.

Without thinking, I called mine The Year of TEAMWORK.

I laughed when I said it — and then I felt it land.

Because experiences aren’t created alone. They require presence. Participation. Shared energy. They require letting yourself be supported.

Even now, with an amazing team around me, I’m still practicing this. Delegating. Asking for help. Letting success be shared. Not assuming everything rests on my shoulders just because it always has.

Teamwork doesn’t mean losing myself. It means not disappearing behind strength anymore.

So this year, I’m choosing something different.

I’m still leading. Still visioning. Still very much myself.

I’m just not doing it all alone.

I’m calling this The Year of TEAMWORK.

Captain still on board.
Just not rowing solo anymore.

With love,
Crystal 🌺