Word of the Year

Every new year begins with so much promise. For many leaders that means choosing a specific word to guide their thoughts and bring out the best of them throughout the year. Some people call these mantras. In my own experience, the practice of owning one word outlasts the New Year’s resolutions that are so popular. Most often I hear words like focus, open, persevere, consistency, simplicity, accountability, generosity…as focal points for improving leadership. 

Elevating ourselves

The pastor in my Minneapolis church presented the concept of a star word in January  – that’s a word that elevates you to thinking, praying, and living at a higher level because you own that word for a year. She writes the words herself and offers for people to blind-draw a word for themselves. In other words, the word is “given” not “chosen.” I’ll share my star word, but not yet.

I’m holding back because I can’t help but concentrate on the immense gratitude on my mind these last few weeks. I choose gratitude over terrified. And horrified. Or dumbfounded. 

When I contemplate the question: Why gratitude? The answer is super-simple: there isn’t enough time in the day to count how many ways, and how many sources of gratitude I see and feel in my life. Even now. 

I’m grateful for:

• a team that is competent, accountable, and thriving
• a family that is closely knit, happy, and truly enjoys time together
• the sunshine and warmth that comes from our decision to live and work from Arizona during winter

Even in the context of all that is happening in Minnesota right now, I’m grateful for work that brings so many people joy, light, and goodness – in a tsunami of heaviness and dark noise. 

Mother Nature also provides me positivity: if we pay attention, the solar darkness is receding as we gain daylight ever so slightly each day. I’m learning that it’s OK to find hope in small slivers.

Bright spots ahead

The Good Leadership team is beaming with hope and promise over the inaugural Minnesota HR THRIVE Awards to be held in May in Minneapolis. Along with our partners Twin Cities Business and Gallagher,  the team recently notified 85 leaders that they were nominated for an HR leadership award. Gratitude flowed! You can share our joy by reading through these lovely responses:

• “It is a tremendous (and very humbling) honor to have been nominated. Our local HR community is full of exceptionally talented people doing amazing work.”
• “I’m honored to even be considered – what a way to start my week!”
• “That is awesome, I am grateful for the nomination and support.”

My star word:

Managing the polarity of my emotional state has been astounding these days: so much darkness and injustice – and joy, gratitude, possibility all in the same moment. The star word the good lord dropped in my lap this year is: Guide.

I like it. I like it because there are so many ways that I cannot intervene physically, personally. As a “guide” I can do my best to make sense. I can help others find purpose. And together we can spread gratitude.

Please join me in sharing gratitude. It really does help because it’s magnetic. And it grows.