One Word 2025
In 2024, my one word was Patience. I knew I needed to grow in all aspects of my life and not expect too much. I knew growth would not happen rapidly, and I had to accept that it would take time. So, I chose to focus on being patient.
Patience- the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.
Choosing the word patience meant waiting and accepting that things would not happen in my time but in God’s time. Also, I had to accept that what I prayed and hoped for may not turn out how I wanted. So, that patience was wrapped with trust. Following that path is not always easy. But 2024 taught me to be still and stay focused. It encouraged me to walk by faith and be patient with it all.
This period of long-suffering is not over, and I don’t know when it will end, if ever. But what I do know is that God has a plan. It is a much bigger plan than I can imagine, but it will not happen quickly or when I want it to.
He is working to put it all together. He is building the puzzle pieces and creating where and when they will be placed. He is preparing me- encouraging me to sit in waiting- in faith. Along the way, he has shown me what He has done for others. He introduces me to people I can learn from, pushing me to step out of my comfort zone and grow. He is walking alongside me in my fears and doubts.
The patience has taught me to sit in hope, walk in faith, and trust in His timing.
In doing so, I have grown spiritually, personally and professionally. I have done things that I know, five years ago, I would never have attempted.
RECONNECTED
This past week, I finished reading Carlos Whittaker’s book Reconnected. In it, he describes his time with Monks and the Amish, when he disconnected from his phone and reconnected with himself and the world. What he shared was so eye-opening and a reminder of how important it is to take the time to disconnect and rediscover yourself.
His journey reminds us that connecting involves essential elements such as noticing, wondering, being present, savoring, beholding, and sitting in solitude.
As I was reading, I was thinking about my one word for 2025. Initially, I thought about the word CONNECT, which is intertwined with disconnecting and reconnecting. For me to connect to people, I need to disconnect from my phone and other distractions and also reconnect.
However, as I read Los Whit’s story more deeply, I see that he clearly explains how all of these elements I mentioned before play a part in disconnecting and then, in turn, connecting with others.
SOLITUDE
Humans are created for self-reflection – a time to enter and perseverate in our thoughts. We are meant to let our minds wander and sit for hours pondering. But without disconnecting from our phones and lives, there is little time allocated for that in our busy schedules.
Solitude creates space for introspection. It allows us to reconnect with ourselves and discover the parts of us that need to grow. Whittaker states it is also where we face our demons—the worries and wounds we don’t want to consider. ( Whittaker, 2024)
According to Carlos Whittaker, how can we reclaim our solitude?
- Wake up before the sun. – for me, that is allowing myself time to sit in prayer and gratitude.
- Commute in silence- spend time with yourself instead of with a podcast, music, phone call, or audiobook.
- Experiment on yourself.
- What if you had 24-hour digital detoxes where you could experience solitude?
- Experiment with tech-free hobbies
- What is an activity you can do where a screen is not involved?
So, my one word for 2025 is SOLITUDE.
I want to spend more time disconnected to self-reflect and reconnect with my life and community. I want to sit in prayer and continue my gratitude practice, which will allow me to notice the blessings around me and behold and savor what God is doing in my world and the world around me.
As I continue to grow in 2025, being present and appreciating everything around me will be essential. Solitude will allow me further to understand myself and God’s plan for my life.