One Word for 2024

Here we are at the beginning of another new year. This year marks a decade of my idea to pick One Word for the year instead of making resolutions. Some of these years I have been very successful in my intended focus. Some not so much. And some took on different meanings from my original intent…..I’m looking at you, 2023. 

• One Word for 2015: Fearless/Fear Less
• One Word for 2016: Present  
• One Word for 2017: Joy
• One Word for 2018: Shalom
• One Word for 2019: Mindful/Mind Full
• One Word for 2020: Vision
• One Word for 2021: Choices
• One Word for 2022: Patience/Trust
• One Word for 2023: Purpose

Ten years. It’s been ten years since Entrepreneur’s cancer diagnosis and my first One Word selection. His first oncologist stressed that renal cell cancer patients only live an average of five years after diagnosis. He’s a walking miracle.

So where did my mind turn this year for my One Word? I try and pick a word that can serve as inspiration and motivation for the direction I want my life to go. Sometimes it’s been a prayer for how I want to live the year.

This year I swatted around many words after trying to narrow down my focus. They included Alignment, Release, Restoration, Synergy, Balance, Harmony and Still. All good words for me to keep front and center in my mind. In the end, the one that ruled them all was:

Tenacious/Tenacity

Tenacious as an adjective whose definition includes:
• Not easily pulled apart; cohesive
• Tending to adhere or cling especially to another substance
• Showing power to resist or to endure

Tenacity as a noun whose definitions include:
• The quality  of being able to grip something firmly
• Persistent determination
• The quality of not giving up something easily

This will be a tricky one. While I want to be determined, I don’t want to appear too immovable. I want to be persistent but not so stubborn or strong willed that there’s no room for grace…for me or others. I want to be steadfast but don’t want to be obstinate.

It will be my goal with this word to develop more inner strength to withstand what the future may throw at me.  I want to be one who can persevere through challenging circumstances.

When I think of Tenacity/Tenacious, I remember two instances where this was displayed in full force. One was when ’87 was playing in a golf tournament, swung down on the ball in a terrible location, hit a tree root and jammed her arm up into her shoulder. She finished the round in pain instead of withdrawing.

The other instance was a student of mine who severely broke her hip two weeks into the semester and was forced to stay in bed for weeks to heal and then rehab her hip to walk again. Despite another instructor who told her to take an Incomplete for the course, her goal was to finish her capstone project and walk at graduation. We worked together via Zoom to finish her project and she did walk across the stage with a crutch at graduation.

I want that kind of resolve in my approach to life. So, here’s to 2024 in all its promise and opportunity, and the challenges that will inevitably come with it.

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. ~Isaiah 41:10 

It’s comforting to always know I am not alone in my struggles. This doesn’t mean I won’t struggle or have challenges/chaos/frustrations/crisis in my life. It just means I’m not alone in my quest to develop a tenacious spirit.

I’m ready…bring it.