Words are powerful. Quotes abound regarding the long term effect of words both positive and negative.

What about the words we say to ourselves?

What if there was just one word that could have a lasting impact on you because you choose to focus on that word for an entire year?

My sister Lori introduced me to this concept a couple weeks ago. For the year 2024 she has focused on JOY. it changed her. NOTE – I was concerned that she might not want this to be made public. I asked her permission and here is her response:

2025 is around the corner and I want a “word.” Fifteen years have come and gone since I worked so hard to focus on “gratitude” and it is ingrained in my soul. Likewise “joy” and a few other positive attributes have found their way into my life over the years.

However, I have never put a year of concentrated effort into one powerful word. There are sooo many from which to choose! Here are a few that I have been considering:

• Confidence
• Courage
• Diligent
• Trust (God) – I already work on this all the time.
• Sacrifice
• Organized
• Reverent
• Friend
• Listen
• Determined
• Selfless
• Optimism
• Focus
• Daily (I know what this means for me)
• Wonder (as in awe- I think I do this pretty well already)
• Power
• Connect
• Light
• Learn

So that’s a start. I cannot say that any particular “word” has jumped out to me as my 2025 focus. Yet any one of these would be helpful for me.

I would love to hear more words to inspire me. WAIT – I don’t want to hear words that you think I need to work on. Yikes. I’m not really wanting to set myself up to that sort of scrutiny- but I would appreciate expanding my list. I get most comments via personal text – but if the list could grow on the Facebook feed or here it would benefit everyone!

2025 is just around the corner – I want to figure this out.