Words are such interesting things. They have an agreed upon meaning, but nearly every word has connotations galore. Some words have emotional loads as well.
The Merriam-Webster word for 2023 is “authentic.” That’s a good, strong word. Obviously the editors chose it because there were many crises of authenticity during the past year. And we’ve reason to be concerned about authenticity in 2024 as well. AI is quickly infiltrating many spaces. Deep fakes are getting more and more difficult to spot. Perhaps “cautious” ought to be chosen as the word for 2024.
Authenticity is never a question when you are dealing with me. WYSIWYG. I’m just no good a faking anything.
Every year at Writers In the Storm, we picture one word to guide us through the coming year. It’s a mission statement meant to guide and inspire us in decision making throughout the year. It might be an action or a belief or a philosophy.
My Guiding Words
For 2023, I chose the word faith. I had some personal challenges in the previous two years that shook my faith in myself and my writing. In retrospect, it was a good word to keep me working toward my goals. Yet when I look back at 2023, re-focus was a word I used a lot last year. I had many interruptions, and I didn’t accomplish as much as I had wanted. There were mitigating circumstances, but I’ve chosen a word for 2024 that should help me fulfill my goals.
My word for 2024
I chose the word “intentional” as my guide for 2024. Please visit the Writers in the Storm blog for my explanation and to read the inspiring word choices my co-hosts made. There’s sure to be inspiring choices in the comments as well.
Happy New Year!
What is your word for 2024? If you don’t choose a word, what are your goals or intentions for the coming year?
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Image Credits
Top image purchased from DepositPhotos.