Less is more, simple is powerful

As research reveals, 88 percent of adults who make resolutions every New Year fail by the end of the year.

You live in an active, anxiety-filled world with heaps of disruptions that make you miss whatever resolutions or promises you have set days before the New Year, and overlook the goals you carefully defined — what to stop, what to start and what to sustain.  The list may have tortured you — and by the end of perhaps the first month of the New Year you followed only those you really loved or those which were convenient for you to follow.

Many of your resolutions are fleeting, at best. As research reveals, 88 percent of adults who make resolutions every New Year fail by the end of the year.

But there’s a way you can commit to memory and live the real meaning of what you wish to achieve and who you want to be in a brand-new year. The technique is called “one word.” It requires focusing on a word that will represent the genuine concerns of your heart and mind. Your chosen “word” can serve as your faithful reminder to concentrate on your goals, which will allow your desired change to transform into actuality.

Yehuda Berg, an authority on Kabbalah, declared, “Words are singularly the most powerful force available to humanity. You can choose to use this force constructively with words of encouragement, or destructively using words of despair. Words have energy and power with the ability to help, to heal, to hinder, to hurt, to harm, to humiliate and to humble.”

The tiny book One Word That Will Change Your Life, authored by Dan Brixton, Jimmy Page and Jon Gordon, makes you go through a process on how to find your “one word.” They assert, “We’ve found that when you find your word, it will change the way you think, the words you speak, the attitudes of your heart, your relationships, and even your actions.”

That’s certainly influential for a single word, and as the tome illustrates, the “one word” concept works its way into and transforms six prime areas of your life: spiritual, physical, emotional, relational, mental and financial.

Your word can go from “ordinary” to “extraordinary.” Your desire may be to experience “breakthrough” in every area of your life, especially the spiritual aspect of it. “Breakthrough” becomes your centering word. And you can achieve this by identifying specific obstacles and barriers that are keeping you from going to the next level. By removing those barriers, you allow the divine impact to set in, and personal disciplines to get renewed.

You must trust, believe and obey. You may discover the depths and dimensions of your word when you begin to trust that God, or any higher being you believe in, could do the impossible. “Believe” may be your chosen focusing word. In serious sickness or major difficulty, for example, you wholeheartedly accept that no matter what, you will receive physical healing in the process.

Emotional encounters bring you your word. Your choice may be between “surrender” and “enjoy.” But when you made your annual New Year’s jump, you felt a sharp pain in your knee and had trouble walking after that. Not a great way to start the year, but as you sit down and continue to watch the fireworks after that nasty sting, you heard the word “surrender.” You were not in control, and after a few minutes of musing, you realized — after that emotional impact — what your word might be.

Your word carries a relational impact. You may choose the word “healing,” because a family member is battling a serious disease, and you’re hoping and praying for physical healing. But even though the family member passed away, the healing that took place involved a relationship, as you witnessed the touching and healing of hearts from past pain and hurt.

Most challenges in life start with toxic thinking. As such, your word may be “detox” because you want to remove the toxic stuff in your life that is keeping you from being your best. You begin to examine your thoughts about life and remove negative, critical patterns of beliefs and judgment. You replace those ideas with positivity, possibility, and faith. These actions give a mental impact that helps fuel closer relationships and an overcoming spirit.

The power of “one word” delivers financial impact. Jon Gordon, one of the authors of the book, facilitated the “one word” process with his company whereby each employee created his or her own word. The result was greater focus, power, energy and engagement — the company had its best year ever.

Gordon, Britton and Page offer the “one word” process, which provides simple steps: you have to “look in,” “look up,” and “look out.”

Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. “Looking in” is preparing your heart.  Taking action to unplug from the frenzy, the blare, and the mess is your first step. You prepare your heart so you can create fertile ground for change to happen. Abraham Lincoln said, “If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend six hours sharpening my ax.” Nothing is more frustrating than going through life without a focus. Taking time to sharpen the ax makes the task successful.

Finding privacy and peace can be a daunting task. There’s no question about that.  It’s hard to break away from the busyness of life. In the Chinese language, the word “busyness” is represented by a single pictograph of two characters: heart and killing. Busyness is a disease that’s robbing you of life. It brings on stress and exhaustion, and it weights your heart with fear, so that you become numb and callused to the most important things in life.

A word with power is a word that comes out of silence. Silence indeed is control. It rewards you with clarity — to view things more clearly, and reinvigorates your body, mind and spirit. Embrace the notion that your word will be brought to life out of solitude. Commit to unplugging. And while you’re unplugged, take the next step, and ask the following questions as you look in: What do I need? Which areas need the most change and why? What’s in my way? What are the obstacles that are preventing me from having what I want? What needs to go? These include past mistakes or pain, bitterness and lack of forgiveness that hold you hostage and disallow you from moving forward.  These questions are so powerful because they’ll help you find your center, and the word that has true meaning in your life.

“Looking up” can be in the form of prayer. It is a simple conversation with a higher being that can help you discover your word. After you’ve prepared your heart, this helps you plug in and listen. It makes you ready to receive the word.  In your dialogue, ask this question: What do you want to do in me and through me this year? This question will help you discover the word meant for you. “Don’t pick a good word; receive a God-word,” the authors underscore. “Looking up” is  “listening up.” Most people talk to God but few listen to God, who uses all means to communicate with you, and you never know when, where, and how your word will be revealed to you.

Once you discover the word that is meant for you, live it out. This is your moment of truth. “Looking out” is living your word. Your word will have impact in all areas of your life: physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, relational, and even financial. Keep your one word front and center. Tell your accountability partners and your family your word for the year. Write it in your journal. Post it on your refrigerator. Paint a “one word” picture and hang it up where you will see it every day. Talk about it with your family at the dinner table. Do whatever it takes to keep it in focus and keep it fresh.

The power of “one word” is anchored in its narrow focus and broad impact. The process takes a little time, but the results are worth it. Less is more and really turns out to be best. Simple is powerful. “One word” can really make a difference. Now you just have to find the word.

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