I believe I mentioned this last week, but I absolutely love the beginning of a new year. I always wait a couple weeks into the new year, you know, to get a feel for her before I decide on my annual “Word of the Year.” I don’t really make resolutions because I will forget about them and move on before January is even over. But one thing I have always loved to do that has been extremely beneficial for me is picking out one single word. 

This word could be anything you want it to be. It could be an action you want to take this year. It could be an affirmation or a goal. To give you an idea, some of my previous “Words of the Year” have included PATIENCE, MONEY, LIMITLESS, OPPORTUNITY, SELF-CARE, etc.  

I usually start out by making a list of a few words that may have popped up in my head during those first two weeks of reflection and then I slowly start narrowing that list down to my one word and then I write it on a note card and usually put it somewhere that I know I am going to see it every day, maybe a bathroom mirror or the dash of my car.  

For 2024, I have landed on the word…. drum roll please…. POWERFUL.  

I spent so much time during 2023 feeling powerless… well I decided to get my power back for 2024. 

The word powerful could mean so many different things for different people. Being powerful to one person may mean having control or overseeing someone or a group of people. The word powerful to someone else may mean being strong or forceful.  

To me being powerful means being confident.  

Powerful people that have influenced me during my lifetime are just that – confident. They do not second guess their decisions or actions. They wake up each morning and make it their mission to find a way to better not only themselves, but others around them, whether it be their children, students, employees or just society in general.  

But the most important thing to note here is that those people who strive to serve others in this capacity… they also seek personal growth.  

Your thoughts are powerful. I believe it was Buddha himself that once said, ““We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world.”  

And those thoughts are a good starting point, but if we do not take action, more specifically action with confidence, then we really are no better off than when we started. Confidence is key. It is what EMPOWERS us to move forward in order to discover and develop our capabilities, whether those capabilities include serving others, moving past a specific fear, trying something new or whatever else.  

Powerful people take powerful actions! 

So really in the end I guess I do have a resolution, but the thing with choosing one word – it can take many different shapes and forms throughout the year. Instead of setting a goal to lose 30 pounds or eat healthier (both are pretty linear) choosing a word opens the door to many more opportunities to better yourself and the lives of those around you.

(Paige Nash is a powerful mom of three girls, digital journalist for Webster Parish Journal and publisher of Bienville Parish Journal and Claiborne Parish Journal.)