Word of the Year
Now faith is the substance of things hope for, the evidence of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1 - NKJV
FAITH - This is my Word of the Year!
Have you ever heard of creating a Word of the Year at the beginning of a new year? Have you ever established one for yourself? A Word of the Year is the practice of selecting one particular word that will serve as your motto, guide, or focus for the coming year. People go to great lengths to come up with a word that will truly convey what their intention or goal may be for themselves. Research may be employed to determine the best word, even prayer and meditation are used as guidance in selecting a word. It is different from creating a New Year Resolution, a practice many of us may be more familiar with. Sometimes with resolutions, although we have the best intentions, we can create unrealistic and strict goals for ourselves that do not always foster growth and awareness, but rather give us a task that is to be completed, a box to be checked upon completion. When that task is not achieved, we may feel defeated and give up on that focus altogether. In my opinion, with a Word of the Year, we have more flexibility to establish exactly what that word means for us individually. Any given word may have a complete different meaning and impact from one person to the next, and that is perfectly fine. That’s actually the beauty of it! You, and you alone, are in control of the interpretation and execution, in your own way and in your own time.
FAITH is a must-have for me in 2021. Really, it is a must-have every year, but I’ve got to cling to this word in 2021. Faith is a belief that is not based on proof… We do not know what tomorrow holds for any of us, that is evident in our everyday lives, in terms of health, employment, relationships, finances, even life itself. But, one thing we can know for sure is that God’s got our back. The tough part is trusting and believing in that daily. We cannot do it by ourselves, we have to put our faith to work. And, that’s my goal for 2021!
One thing that I have done differently this year, in regards to my Word of the Year, is to set calendar reminders in my phone for every couple of weeks. This will guarantee that I stay focused and committed, reminding me to take the time to assess my progress and continue to hold myself accountable.
If this sounds like a practice that you would like to establish for yourself, I suggest you take time and truly think of what is important to you and what strides you would like to make in this new year. Finding a word/focus that was right for me took extra time this year, I had to be patient with myself. If we had not learned before 2020, I think last year really taught us to slow down and be patient with ourselves and others. Let’s not forget that as we move forward. Be thankful and be kind!