Resolve is My Word for 2025

This makes the 7th year that I have participated in Jon Gordon’s #OneWord challenge. It’s a process I look forward to each year - one of reflection, contemplation and aspiration.

The process is straightforward. You ask yourself three questions to create a mindset of growth:

• What do I need?
• What’s in my way?
• What needs to go?

 
Once you have your internal balance, you start reaching outwards and go through this simple prayer: What do you want to do in me and through me?
 
That question becomes a discussion that will eventually lead you to an answer.
 
I shared my emotional and powerful experience when I uncovered my first One Word in 2019, LISTEN. The majority of my One Word experiences are much more subtle but when the word comes to you, you simply know it is the word.

My One Word
This year’s One Word came to me while walking on the treadmill one morning. As I was repeating my prayer, I had words popping in and out of my mind. Certain words would bring excitement, and I would think “maybe this is…” and then just as quickly that word would leave, and another word would appear.
 
Then my One Word came forth. RESOLVE. It came with a sense of finality. It was a matter of fact and didn’t leave room for debate. The word was heavy. Instead of my mind racing, it dug deeper into the reasoning showing where it has been missing from my actions and experiences where it will be valuable going forward.
 
Confident with my choice, I then looked up the definition. (Yes, I was still on the treadmill… PSA, don’t do this at home!) Upon reading the definition, the final moment of validation had arrived.
 
Verb

1. Settle or find a solution to
2. Decide firmly on a course of action

Noun

1. Firm determination to do something

 
WHOA! That’s it!
 
It fits equally well as a verb and a noun. A reminder that there are issues I have failed to address and that in life, I need to call upon and display RESOLVE to reach my goals.
 
Validation of My One Word
Finding my One Word, took me down a rabbit hole of searching for references. I found a quote from Wayne Dyer that is so appropriate to my stage in life:
“There is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love, there’s only scarcity of resolve to make it happen.”
 
My mind took me back to the previous Church service, when the passtor shared the story of Daniel refusing to break the dietary laws and eat the King’s food and drink his wine. Daniel showed resolve, despite being in a foreign land under the suppression / service of a mortal king, he showed a firm determination to carry out what he saw as alignment with God’s will.
 
Daniel demonstrated a steadfast purpose that I feel has been lacking in my own spirit.
 
Since I have crossed over my halftime of life (check out Bob Buford book titled, Halftime: Moving from Success to Significance) and have since entered the second half with Serve2Lead, I feel that I have spent more time floating with the current than traveling with a purpose. I’ve allowed circumstances to carry me along on my journey instead of traveling my own streams.
 
I recognize that not resolving my indecision has given power to my inner demons and to conquer them… to truly flourish in this second half, I must show RESOLVE today as well as Beyond Today.

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