i am lucy layne

Our opinions are supposed to make us wonder whether or not we’re right — not convince us that we are. They should elicit creativity, growth, and discovery — not exclusion, anger, and hatred. We should gravitate toward opposing opinions, like magnets do their opposites. We rarely do though. Sometimes, we even fight them off. But, most of the time, we simply avoid them and agree to disagree. But why don’t we connect? Again ... like magnets. Why don’t we use our energy to find out why we disagree so that we can actually decide whether or not we should agree? What if our differences could help us stick together — what if they could make us stronger?

I’m not one for New Year's resolutions because I don’t wait for change. I know there’s always a better version of myself waiting to show up. And I know that the only way to find her is to look — so, I’m constantly searching — not just in the places I’ve already been, but everywhere ... venturing into the unknown. And it’s scary. Sometimes I spend hours in the dark, jumping at the sound of my own footsteps, only to realize that I’ve been looking in the wrong place at a very bad time. It’s discouraging. But life isn’t about being right or knowing the answer. It’s about learning lessons and knowing that sometimes there's a different answer now than there may have been before.

So, that’s why I’ve decided to spend 2021 on being both a student and a teacher — here’s to hoping we can split the change!