Three Words for 2023

Happy 2023!

Is it 2024 yet? Let’s not go there. At least not today.

I don’t do resolutions. Oh sure, there are things I want to work on and during tomorrow’s parade I’ll be addressing that list.

Why not today? Well, there’s one more night for Santa at the amusement park.

A few years back, I switched from my annual More or Less post to choosing three words for the year.

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This was at the inspiration of Chris Brogan and Rob Hatch who still post their three words annually.

For 2022, my words were Recover, Read, Rise.

I did a good bit of recovering. I’m stronger, and lighter than I was on this day a year ago. Were it not for the summer bout with COVID, I might even be further along. But the Late Great Unpleasantness™ of 2021 is behind me. So to speak.

I did a good bit of reading. Not always books, so don’t judge me by my Goodreads list. I didn’t make that goal. The plan is to just keep reading. Early and often.

I hope that I rose to most occasions. I did manage in the process to write, illustrate, and publish three children’s books. More are coming in 2023.

But, without further delay, my three words for 2023.

PRAY

I believe in the power of prayer. I believe it’s a necessary and benetifical communication with our Heavenly Father.

You only have to check out the news, or social media, or heck, check out at the grocery store, to understand that we’re in some difficult times. I believe prayer is necessary to get us through these times. I”m not sure we’re promised that times will get better. But I do know that times of revival and renewal have always come about through prayer.

I believe that, while prayer may not always change circumstances, it will most assuredly always change me.

I also know that I fail at this daily. So in 2023, I want to make prayer a daily focus.

PREPARE

I mentioned above that I’ll be going over my project lists tomorrow. I already know I won’t get to everything on the list. And that’s okay. But I want to prepare for the year ahead. I want to prepare for the unexpected. Because life is always unexpected.

I can’t plan for calamity not to happen. But I can put myself in a better position to deal with that when the disruptions come.

No, I don’t know exactly how all that will play out. Most likely I’ll be back here a year from now telling you how nothing went as planned. It will take some thought.

And definitely some prayer (see above).

PLAY

Truth is, my family and I haven’t had a lot of time to play in the last few years. We had the pandemic, we had last year’s Late Great Unpleasantness™, and a few other challenges.

While we know the challenges will come again this year. I want to be more purposeful about takign time to enjoy life. To go to the beach. To go the mountains. To join a pool for the summer. There’s a list.

But the point is to not always be looking for what lies ahead, but to live in, and enjoy, the moment. More on this as we go along.

So, there you have it. My three words for 2023.

PRAY. PREPARE. PLAY.

I’ll check in ever couple of months to let you know how things are going.

Happy 2023!

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