The word for 2014

Every New Year’s Eve, one of my friends and her sisters each choose a word they intend to make their personal theme for the new year.

“It’s a word we want to live by or fulfill in the new year,” she said. “Something we want to do, have, or be.”

…

“I know mine already… but I’m curious about what you would choose. If you could pick one word to explain what you want this next year, what would it be?”

…

I thought it was an interesting question.

And despite my tendency to be impulsive, I wanted to put some thought into it.

I wrote down different words all night. A quiet New Year’s Eve at home. There may come a day when I will leave my son with a sitter during the 50 percent of his life that I get to see him now. But it was never going to be in 2013.

So, I skipped the parties this year on what is traditionally my favorite party night of the year.

I regret nothing.

This is my first New Year’s Day not feeling hung over in, literally, as long as I can remember. I didn’t have a drop last night.

I set my alarm clock to wake me at 11:45 p.m. With my son asleep next to me, I watched the television coverage of the ball dropping in Times Square.

Mind clear.

Heart full.

All I did was think about who and what I want to be. How I’m going to use 2014 as the springboard to the rest of my life.

What word would I choose?

Words Matter

So many of you are writers. So you know they matter.

The things we speak.

The things we write.

While I’m forever guilty of writing quick first drafts and clicking ‘Publish,’ the best of us pore over each sentence on the really important stuff. Each word.

Once in a while when I’m writing at work, I’ll pop open the thesaurus. I rarely use it, but once in a while, in marketing, I believe the perfect word is out there waiting for us to find.

The magic words. The hypnotic ones. The ones that sell.

Is that thing good? Or is it delightful?

Is that product durable? Or is it robust?

Is that woman pretty? Or is she exquisite? Ravishing? Bewitching? Angelic?

Choosing words isn’t so different than choosing the perfect seasoning for your food. Or choosing the optimum wine to drink with it.

A Barolo or Cabernet Franc?

A Shiraz or Malbec?

A Pinot Noir or Zinfandel?

They are all red wines. Good ones. But they also all have their own unique personalities and characteristics.

Not unlike my list of words. Many of them mean almost the same thing. All of them play nicely together.

But there can be only one.

I want to choose wisely. Get it right the first time. The perfect word.

The Candidates

I wrote down several.

…

Adapt.

Live.

Grow.

Discover.

Win.

Achieve.

Triumph.

Evolve.

Succeed.

Earn.

Realize.

Build.

Complete.

Hope.

Conquer.

Overcome.

…

“Hope” is my favorite word. And it’s my favorite idea.

Hopelessness is a disease I never intend to contract.

There is no situation, good or bad, in which I can justify abandoning hope for a better tomorrow.

The anticipation of an amazing thing is one of the underrated experiences we are allowed as human beings. And with hope, I am always trying to feel that anticipation. That childlike feeling of eagerly awaiting something magnificent.

I feel it more, right now, than any other day I’ve written here.

Call it foolishness. Say January 1 is just another day. You’re entitled to that.

But what I see is a fresh canvas. A blank sheet of paper. A clean slate on which to start a journey.

Hope lives in all that white space. In the unknown. And I am drinking it up on this quiet, snowy morning.

…

Two words stand out.

Grow and Achieve.

But as a guy who values efficiency—two birds with one stone, and all that—my word for 2014 is: Achieve.

Because achievement can only occur if I actually grow and display that growth through my daily actions.

Achieve.

It’s a good word. It’s not exotic. It’s not big. Everyone knows what it means.

And it covers every facet of my life—the four pillars of balance, like legs on a table.

Mental health.

Physical health.

Spiritual health.

Emotional health.

One puts in the right effort into each leg of the table, and you have something balanced. Something sturdy. Perhaps even something beautiful.

I may not meet all of my goals for 2014.

But there absolutely will be achievement in this new year.

As always, I will look forward to sharing them with you.

What word might you choose?

Wishing you a very happy and blessed New Year. And for all those you love. And for all those they love.

Today, we begin.

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Culture.

That is Merriam-Webster’s word of the year for 2014. If it sounds awfully broad, that is because the editors based in Springfield, Mass., rely more on hard data than feeling to choose their lexical time capsule. But this big idea, broken down into specifics, does a fine job of summing up the past year.

While Oxford chose vape for its connections to health and society, and Dictionary.com chose exposure to tie big news stories like Ebola and Ferguson together, Merriam-Webster settled on culture by figuring out which of their most popular words experienced the biggest spike in lookups this year.

Looking back to see what helped drive those lookups, the editors point out that “celebrity culture” and “rape culture” and “company culture” all had big years. “Culture is a word that we seem to be relying on more and more. It allows us to identify and isolate an idea, issue, or group with seriousness,” Peter Sokolowski, editor-at-large for Merriam-Webster, said in a statement. “And it’s efficient: we talk about the ‘culture’ of a group rather than saying ‘the typical habits, attitudes, and behaviors’ of that group.”

In addition to the phrases Merriam-Webster points out, plenty of other brands of culture made headlines in 2014, including:

pop culture, consumer culture, military culture, culture wars, the “culture of free,” startup culture, cultural clashes, cultures of violence, cultures of silence, drug culture, Western culture, Scottish culture, surf culture, high culture, teenage culture, culture shocks, police culture, the NFL’s culture, media culture and hookup culture.

Other words that saw big lookup spikes this year, each with their own connections to what was going on in American culture, were nostalgia (our long goodbye to Mad Men), insidious (a certain horror movie franchise gets another installment), je ne sais quoi (Sonic selling us chicken wings) and feminism (the Gamergate controversy, for starters). In their press release, Merriam-Webster points out that TIME’s nod to 2014 as “the year of pop feminism” sent many people running for the dictionary.

Here are the three top definitions of culture that Merriam-Webster returns when someone looks up the word, one we clearly can’t get enough of:

: the beliefs, customs, arts, etc., of a particular society, group, place, or time

: a particular society that has its own beliefs, ways of life, art, etc.

: a way of thinking, behaving, or working that exists in a place or organization (such as a business)

Contact us at letters@time.com.

A Word for 2014 was first published by Mary Craig of  Craighouse® & Mary Craig Ministries on December 2013.

The Word received by Mary Craig is for Craighouse® and the Body of Christ

“For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries”   1 Corinthians 16:9.

“Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord…”   2 Corinthians 2:12.

“² Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;  ³ meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains,  ⁴ that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.
⁵ Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time.  ⁶ Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one”   Colossians 4:2-6.

“I know your works.  See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name”   Revelation 3:8.

“After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven.  And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, ‘Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this’”   Revelation 4:1.

This year I will open doors of opportunities, open doors for the preaching of the gospel of Jesus. Through My Church will spread everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.

This fragrance, of life to some and of death to others, will result in opposition, for many oppose the truth now, suppressing the truth in unrighteousness.

Be bold, but not brassy, and stand strong, always ready to give an answer for the hope within you.  Be sensitive to others, perceptive as to their spiritual needs.

Pray Colossians 4:3.  Pray to be the faithful Church, not the corrupt, compromising, complacent Church. Revelation 3:7-13.

This year many will deny My Name and will not endure patiently.  I know you have little strength; I am and must be your strength — every day, daily.  Keep My Word.

As doors open for the gospel, opposition increases.  They may hate you, but it is Me they hate.

The presence coming will divide and reveal more clearly the seed of Satan from the Seed of Christ.  My Spirit in you will break through the veil of flesh to let the Glory shine through. Be prepared for this.

I am sanctifying to Myself a holy people, a holy bride.  As I set My people apart, even those in the visible church will separate from you.

You are My special treasure.  I will open doors in heaven, raining down My Spirit upon you.  I will watch over you and keep My covenant promises to you.

Isaiah 33:1-6.  This is what you can claim for this year.  And then watch Me in all of Isaiah 33.

Who are the uncircumcised to defy the Armies of the Living God?  I am the Mighty One.  Know (oida) Me.  And I will open the treasures of wisdom and knowledge in Christ.   Colossians 2:3.

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How is it I’d never heard about picking a word for the year until last January?

Now everywhere I go I’m reading about people’s words for the year or their word for last year. Maybe this is a new fad that’s come about as a result of New Year’s Resolutions being disappointing and hard to keep up with or maybe I’ve just always been too busy making out my resolutions list to hear anything about this illustrious “Word of the Year.”

Anyway, I’m here to encourage you to pick a word for your year.

I must admit there’s a tiny part of me that thinks this is a little cheesy, but I love cheese, and last year’s word really worked a number on me, so I’m doing it again.

Last year I picked HORIZON. I chose it because I wanted to broaden my horizons, try some new things, and do stuff I’d never done before, and, not to brag, but I did pretty well.

I tried new foods. I made an effort to dress differently (instead of throwing on sweatshirts and jeans all the time). I had to learn how to talk about my writing instead of making excuses for it. And I even had to take a plunge and start a new job.

And always with me was this idea of “HORIZON”—that I needed to take some risks. It really helped me and often was the determining factor in little decisions I had to make.

So…I’ve picked a different word for 2014.

I’m very excited about my new word.

It deals with something I’ve been struggling with in my faith, and it challenges me to move away from my negativity. Hopefully it will be a little light along my path reminding me to really live and never give up.

Now maybe you’re wondering what exactly my word is…well….after much thought, I’ve decided NOT to share mine until you have chosen yours. So go ahead, think about it, pray about it, and then put it in the comments! I’ll let you know mine when you share yours!

Peace!