2025 Word of the Year
HAPPY NEW YEAR! Join me as I welcome the new year with my 2025 Word of the Year!
Last year, my word of the year was STRENGTH!
At the time I selected it, I did so as a goal to get through foot surgery recovery…I had no idea at that time that we would relocate our lives to another city.
STRENGTH was the word that inspired and encouraged me all year long through preparing and actually moving to a new place.
On days I was tired of packing boxes and throwing out our past, I would dig deep and pull up STRENGTH.
There was a moment I considered keeping it for my 2025 word of the year.
However, something else began to happen…..
2025 WORD OF THE YEAR: HOW IT CAME ABOUT
It is so easy to get grumpy later in life….especially during a vicious political cycle…especially after a toe amputation…especially after gaining weight (yet again!)…especially…especially…
Since my precious grandsons have been at our house so often, I constantly find these little handprints all over the back door.
We clean the door (Mr. B does it best) and they magically appear the next time the boys are here.
I found myself one day getting very grumpy over this…then I went to the grocery.
In San Antonio, my favorite grocery was practically on every corner.
In my new home, there is ONE location of the store I prefer.
The lines can get rather long…and the grumpiness continued.
As I waited in the long line, my eye fell upon this magazine cover.
So, I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and thanked God for the one HEB (better than none) and thanked him for the handprints on the door.
Children grow so quickly..just as my other children did…and then the handprints are gone.
Later that day, a former student posted a word scramble on her Instagram.
It was meant to help followers find their “mantra” for 2025…but all I saw was the word GRATITUDE jumping out at me.
Do you see it?
The next day I went to the antique stores, tripped over a item, then stood up to look right at this wall.
Hmmmm…I was beginning to see a pattern.
2025 WORD OF THE YEAR: AND IT IS….
Yes, I read the signs and decided to go with GRATEFUL.
I went with the adjective rather than the noun (gratitude) because I want it to describe me each and every day.
The difference between grateful and thankful is described as this: “Sometimes, the word grateful is viewed as a stronger, more emotional, or more emphatic version of thankful. Some people may think that grateful places more emphasis on appreciation toward others, while thankful places the emphasis more on the relief felt by the person who was helped.”
I want to be grateful every day even if I am not helped with anything. I want to be grateful for my life whether there are challenges or not.
I want to be grateful for new opportunities and handprints on the glass….even if these are new experiences in a new place.
It is so easy for life to rob us of our joy and our gratitude, but we hold the keys to that door that opens to allow the grumpy, discontented feelings inside.
No matter what lies ahead in 2025, I will dig deep to find gratitude in every situation.
Once I saw the signs, I knew this was the word of the year…and should really be woven throughout every year to come.
GRATEFUL.
2025 WORD OF THE YEAR: YOUR TURN
So, what is your 2025 Word of the Year? I hope you will share your thoughts here.
It is encouraging to read what you say and we do learn from one another.
Oh yes….I am beyond GRATEFUL for all of you! Let’s have an amazing 2025 together!
GIVE THANKS & KEEP SMILING!
By Pamela Lutrell
DON’T FORGET THE SALES!! MANY ARE ALREADY UNDER WAY!
For all your shopping, please use the links on my SHOPPING PAGE…thank you, thank you to all who shop this way.
Happy new year to you and our reader community! We could all use a big dose of “grateful” and I love how fitting that is for you. I have been praying for discernment as I considered various words, and until this morning nothing seemed right. Then I heard an interview with young country singer Koe Wetzel on my local radio station this morning. His career has really taken off, so it’s been a very busy year for him. He was expressing how tired he feels, but then he acknowledged what a blessing his newfound stardom has been for him. His words were what I’ve adopted for the coming year, although I would like to find a word that encapsulates them: “I am so excited to be this tired.” That resonated so deeply after the year I’ve had. I was exhausted after a week in Nashville spent coordinating a musician friend’s wedding, but I got to do that! I am worn out by the house purchase and requisite packing which is just beginning, but I get to move into my lifelong dream house! I am up in the wee hours of the night preparing my home to welcome guests from out of the country who arrive in about twelve hours, but I get to take them all over my beloved home state! Life is so good and so precious, and I want to be grateful for even the exhaustion that comes with living it to the fullest. Maybe “excited in spite of exhaustion?” I would welcome suggestions to sum up this idea in a more succinct word or phrase. New year’s blessings to you, your family and all the readers!
Happy New Year Pam!. Cheers to 2025, a year I do hope brings peace and serenity to the World and to all of our communities. My word then is HOPE.
You always give me so much food for thought. My life has been full of stressful and unpredictable upheavals since November. I haven’t been able to settle on the right word yet. As we dined out last night with friends who are visiting for a few days, I thought about how this was probably the 30th year that we have spent New Years with them. That is a bond, and I have many friends, many bonds. I decided I have to relax, take a step back, and trust God that our lives are in His hands. I just haven’t come up with the right word yet. Peace is too general. I want to invite calmness in. Finding my word is a work in progress! I am still processing.
Happy New Yesr to all!
I think you can have a brief phrase instead of one word, Texas Aggie Mom. I actually have two words, Slow Down. I am reading a wonderful book called “Slowing Down to the Speed of Joy” and it is speaking to me. I have overbooked myself in my retirement because I have so many interests and friends, which is a good problem to have. I think I can do it all, and it ends up being too many things and I don’t have time to do the home projects and reflections on life that feed my soul. This book says being grateful is one of the ways to flourish, so you are definitely on the right track, Pam. Blessings to you and this community of readers. You are the BEST!
Happy new year, Pam! Yes, the word “strength “ did right by you this year. I haven’t thought about selecting a word, but gratitude is good to remember any time.
Happy New Year Pam, this is my first year participating in “word of the year” with your blog. In previous years, nothing resonated with me as I looked at it like a resolution which would fail within a week, and due to circumstances, I mentally did not have the energy. Life has changed for me, this year is different, my mindset is different.
I’ve been very fortunate, in that I just had 11 days off from work during the holidays. Each day I was determined to complete at least one small task: doing something physical in my apartment, reading a devotional, praying, cooking, cleaning a small area, calling a friend, relaxing and thinking, visiting a store I have not been to before, contemplating my life, etc. My word is DETERMINED. Each day my saying will be, I’m determined to…….today. It is a little different than most words that people will choose but we are all in different stages of life and, I’m starting with baby steps for me.
Again, your words inspire me in more ways than I can express, I am grateful for you! Happy New Year to you, your family and my fellow readers’.
Marcia, “Slowing Down to the Speed of Joy” is my next book to read. 😊
I have to pick two I ask every day in prayer. It’s joy and self control.
My husband retired a year ago so.. lol
Thanks for the inspiration, Pam. My mantra for 2025 is “Take it easy”. I tend to overestimate my energy and try to do too much. Often I end up sick from fatigue. I’ve neglected my home and it shows so in 2025 I plan to focus on deep cleaning, purging the excess and self care. I love my life that is filled with grandchildren, exercise, travel, books and singing in two groups.
Ok, Linda, pursue what you love but “take it easy”!
When I looked at the word scramble I saw gratitude but I also saw connection. I think both those words will be helpful tome throughout the year. I do need more connection with my family and friends I sometimes like to just be alone but too much of that takes me down a road I don’t want to go. I also like the word gratitude because I think it changes my outlook on everything.
Hopefully it will be a good year. As your last year showed you never know what will happen.
My word for 2025 is “present.” I’ve always had a busy mind, preparing for tomorrow. But today is all we have, and we need to treat it as the blessing it is.
Thanks Pam. I hope you have great year ahead! The word I have chosen for this year is lucky. I wil try to tell myself every day I am so lucky to…be alive at age 72 rather than focusing on how my arthritis is so bad I can hardly walk. I am so lucky to have a nice husband even if he asks me for the 100th time when is his next doctor’s appointment. I am so lucky to have God, books, great grandchildren I adore, and much more. I will try to focus on lucky! Thanks Pam for your constant inspiration!
Hi, Pam! Happy New Year to you and your loved ones! My word this year is “Breathe,” as in being calm and being still. I have a tendency to let anxiety overtake me, worrying about things that are out my control. I’m also working to be more flexible when dealing with certain people in my life, which requires me to step back and “breathe.” I want to enjoy my life and the people in it. 😊
I took a quiz which asked several questions pertaining to mainly our spiritual walk, and my word ended up being “abide.” That seems appropriate for a new year that I don’t have to do anything alone as long as I abide in Him. Happy New Year to all. This is such an uplifting group.
I love the word grateful. It’s so much more than a word. All words of the year are more of a way of life, or something you hope to be your way of life. My word will be content. I will strive to be content in all situations and circumstances. This is something I have struggled with the last few years. I had so many words to choose from, this one resonated with me the most. Happy New Years. God’s blessings on you!
Dear Pam and All: Very Happy 2025! My word of the year is SMILE. From a small portion of our CPA’s newsletter: “Purposefully smile. Smile therapy is real, and it works. The benefits of smiling are numerous, including stress relief, lowered blood pressure, improved mood, and pain relief. Plus, smiling is contagious–moods spread. Would you rather contribute to gloominess or happiness?” I caught myself in the mirror a couple of times this holiday season with a resolute grimace on my face. Not a good look! I have decided that my corollary word is POSTURE because along with the grimace there was my poor posture. So! Shoulders back, head up, and smile. It really does feel better! Cheers!
So many good word choices here including yours, Pam! I’ve loved reading all the responses. My word for 2024 was hope. It was so meaningful to me that I wasn’t ready to give it up, so I’m keeping it as my word for a second year. There are many things that I hope for in the coming year, but hope means much more to me than just wishful thinking. The Biblical word hope, from the Hebrew word tikvah, is an expectation, a certainty, a strong expression of faith. It’s confidence that God is who He says He is and can do what He says He will do. That’s the hope that I hold fast to; a hope that doesn’t depend on my circumstances.
Hi Pam. I’ve been thinking about this quite a bit. We moved 2.5 years ago, and I still miss my friends and the connections I had there. I haven’t found my way in our new location and it’s led to depression and weight gain missing what I had. So, I have decided my word is discomfort. I need to get out of my comfort zone and make connections. As an introvert, this is difficult for me, and I a determined to make it happen. So, 2025 will be my year of discomfort – to go out, talk to strangers, get to the gym and learn to be comfortable in times of discomfort.
I agree with you! I love the phrase…I am so excited to be so tired.
I am going to note it in my planner. If I can think of a way to put it in one word, so will let you know.
I goes hand in hand with why I was drawn to grateful…Since relocating our lives, I have been exhausted! Thank you for sharing!
And a powerful word it is! Thanks Paulette!
And it sounds like you are on the right path. I thought of words that also seemed weak to me for this new year, so I get it when you say that. God will show you!
My youngest daughter lives in Belgium and will be getting married there in May of 2025. She will have a ceremony and reception there. We will also have a small family/friends party for her and her new husband,here in Illinois,July 4th. My oldest daughter and her family will be moving to London in April of 2025,so she can pursue her PhD in Vestibular Neurology,which will enable her to do research and teach. (She is currently a P.T.) They are currently renting our 2nd house in Nashville. After they move in April,we have decided to rent out the house again and will have to some repairs,cleaning etc We will probably leave getting this house to rent until after July/25. I have to start looking for a Mother of The Bride dress soon and I have put on a lot of weight recently. ☹️
I am going to start exercising more and watching what I eat. I am considering also contacting my doctor about the
Glp-1 drugs for weight loss,but I have heard they have a lot of side effects. Does anyone have experience with this?
So, I guess my word for 2025 will be CALM. 😊
I am going to get this book, Marcia! I have three in front of it and about to finish one. But I am interested. Thank you so much for sharing!
Strength was amazing for me as the right word and I still strive to be a woman of strength and dignity every day!
Happy New Year! I’ve enjoyed reading today’s comments. The last quarter of 2024 was challenging for me due to changes in the workplace (a new boss with a new vision for my position, increased workload and the downsizing of our office) as well as caring for my mom following knee replacement surgery in November. I ended up getting sick the week before Christmas and decided that something needed to change. Therefore, my word for 2025 is “protect”. I’m committed to protecting my mental and physical health by reducing the stress I felt at the end of 2024.
Thank you, Betty! I love the word, Determined! Great word for the second half of life…and to keep us focused on one day at a time. This is excellent…thank you for sharing.
Love these words…so many days I ask God for both!
Good reminder…especially if you go to the point of getting I’ll.
Oh yes…we just never know what is ahead! Connection is also important for me in a new place and looking to develop new friendships! Thanks Paula!
Present is always a great word!
You are welcome, Beth and blessed!
A word I often think about daily! Thank you for sharing it Glenda!
Protect is an excellent call to action when we need to remember self care. Have hope in 2025, Cathy!
Please do much research, Denise! I have also heard about those side effects. Talk to your doctor too.
Grateful is a great word choice & being grateful is definitely a habit that I need to practice. I decided a few days ago that I would begin the day by writing down something I was grateful for & something I found beautiful in the previous day. There is beauty all around us, & we need to look for it.
My word last year was forward. I felt like I was finally ready to move forward from caregiving & mourning my late husband & step into a new season in my life. I feel like I did that in 2024.
My word for 2025 is simplify. I have learned the value of living with less “stuff” when redoing kitchen & living room. I want to continue simplify my belongs, but I also want to simplify my social life & my overall lifestyle. I feel that by doing so there will be room for growth, spiritually & mentally. Blessings for 2025 to all.
Keep a gratitude journal, Becky for writing down daily blessings. You will be so blessed next year when you read back over it!
My word to guide through the new year in 2025 is INTENTIONAL . I feel that this year I spent a great deal of time being overwhelmed because I said yes to so many things that I was spread thin and I did not feel I did the best I could in other areas that had greater priority. Instead of flying by the seat of my pants for this year; I plan to be more intentional about asking the Lord what He would have me do each day, week, month and for the year.
Happy New Year all! I can relate to so many of these words for the year. One of the things I like most about this blog is the sense of community. I follow so many blogs that are nothing more than advertising. This is reflected in the absence of genuine exchanges between the author and followers. Not so here!
I’ve never chosen a word of the year before but the challenges facing me this year have prompted me to choose a word to guide me – Resilience. A few days before Christmas I signed papers to place my 94 yr old mom under hospice care. In a couple weeks I am scheduled for my second knee replacement. Once my right knee allows me to drive my husband faces surgery on his hand to try and alleviate some of the pain caused when he lost half his hand in a tablesaw accident last summer. With faith (my companion word) I will muster the resilience to tackle these challenges and grow in the process.
On a lighter note though – Pam I’m cheering for the Horns today!! SEC all the way. Horns really looking impressive.
I love this…intentional to ask God to be in control of what you do daily! That is powerful and a prayer you will see answered.
Hi Sonja! I will pray for you…resilience and strength! Perhaps down time from surgery will help you to remember your mother and sweet times with her.
It’s halftime…so far, so good.
I love the word abide so much. It always reminds me about the vine and the branches. We have been grafted into God and that is where we grow and abide. Excellent choice.
Contentment and gratitude go hand in hand. Thank you for sharing it Jeanine…I am sure we all struggle with it from time to time.
You made me smile, Mary! I love your quote! Keep Smiling!
Amen, Elaine! Hope is one of those words we should never give up!
Hi Jennifer! I predict you will make friends at the gym…consider joining a class. Stop by a local bookstore and ask about book clubs. Start with the gym …when you feel physically better you just may find more confidence to meet new people. You can do this!
Thank you Pam and all the readers who shared today. I also chose Gratitude on my 80th birthday in December. The word puzzle had several words that jumped out to me. Gratitude, connection, change, health, self care, strength, breathe, breakthrough, love, and I added hope in the tikvah sense. I found a Gratitude journal in the back of a drawer that I wrote 26 years ago. Reading it was very enlightening to what place I was in my spiritual journey. It truly is a journey through many challenges. Happy New Year everyone.
Happy New Year! It took me awhile to settle on a word, but after a lot of thought I decided “Connections” is my word for 2025. I’m hoping to pursue closer connections with family, friends and just as importantly, myself. I haven’t really been connecting to my own needs and wants for quite some time, so that’s something I’m hoping to work on . Self-care has never been a priority for me and this is the year I hope to change that! I also want to make some new connections with people and activities that will make me happy.
Hope you, Pam, and all these wonderful ladies have a blessed New Year!
Linda Ann
Happy New Year Pam!! I haven’t chosen a word but I do like the concept. It seems everyday I need to reach for a new adjective to see me through. Five weeks ago I had my second knee replacement. Knee replacements bring you to a whole new reality. While I’m so grateful I will eventually feel I made the right decision and I that don’t have three knees, getting there is certainly a journey that I’d rather not take. But, if replacements will keep me moving and active, that’s what I must do. You are always so positive and see the good in everything. Thank you for your blog. Is there a chance in the new year we will get a tour of your new home? The glimpses we’ve seen, have been such a treat!
Many blessings to you and your family in 2025!
Like you, I pick the word grateful and also the word joyful. During 2024, I noticed and it was also pointed out to me that I used to be A very positive person. The operative words here were used to be. I’ve been critical on finding fault and unhappy like I’ve lost my joy like I’ve lost being grateful. So those are things I am striving to get back in my life. I’ve started gratitude journal. I’ve started trying to see joy in small things. I’m even reading a book called “Joyful”. It’s about the surprising power of ordinary things to create extraordinary happiness. It’s interesting how when I project happiness and gratefulness how people around me seem to reflect that right back to me. So is it working? I’m not sure. I’ll let you know.
I appreciate your blog so much. You inspire me as do many of your readers in our little community here. I’m looking forward to a positive New Year full of gratefulness and joyfulness.
Pam, last year my word was gratitude. It was a life-changer. I challenged myself to think of three things I was grateful for each evening as I fell asleep. Turns out I NEVER have had such wonderful, peaceful dreams. And after a few months, I realized I needed to tell some people in my life that they were doing many things I was grateful for. (I believe I’d probably always thought they just knew I appreciated them … but now I wanted to make sure they knew!) I began making a point of telling them — mostly in person, but sometimes over the phone or in thank you notes. One friend had tears in her eyes when I told her I was grateful for our long friendship; said I’d turned her rough day around. Well, you know how this goes: the more you practice, the better you get at things. It’s become so easy for me to find much to be grateful for every day. Even little things — sometimes especially the little things — bring a glow to my heart. And telling someone you are grateful for something they’ve done is like giving them a lasting gift.
I don’t know my word for this year yet, but I can’t stop my gratitude stuff now. I am hooked!
Happy New Year. Wow, so many great word choices. My word for 2025 is FLEXIBLE. Too often when things happen to disrupt my “well laid plans” I’ve felt resentful and even angry. I admit to being sort of a perfectionist. I’ve always felt the need to be organized and to have everything in order. Clutter and chaos can drive me up the wall and make me irritable. When Helene hit however my life was tossed into chaos for weeks. I could not plan or control the situation. I prayed for help and guidance and the answer was to learn to be more flexible, to recognize when I need to let go and go with the flow.
I think my word this year is Content. Life is good. God is good. I am grateful as well. Let’s get together for lunch. I’d love to meet you in person!
I had prayed and thought and it was Jan 31 , still no word felt right. Then out of the blue God put it in my mind.New years eve. The word is commit. To commit more to Him, commit to better spiritual journey, better physical health, mental health, self care. Yep commit it is. It has felt right to day.
Hi Pam! Happy New Year! I am enjoying all of these words … so much to think about. I have selected the word “explore” as my word of the year. Having faced some challenges in the past couple of years, I realized I have gotten myself into a rut. Understandable, but I’m ready to move on … thus the word explore … whether it’s new food, new sites, new experiences. That’s what my focus will be.
Yesterday my husband and I were looking for something different to watch on tv … and we came across the London New Year’s Day Parade on our public tv station. How awesome it was when the Abilene Texas High School Band appeared as one of the visiting bands. I immediately thought of you.
That is awesome, Beth! How special for that group of high school students! And I am blessed that you thought of me. Explore is an amazing word…there is so much to explore each and every day. Thank you for sharing.
Happy New Year everyone! My word for the coming year is mindfulness. I am just starting to practice mindfulness, and it does not come naturally to me, so mindfulness is aspirational for me.
(To DeborahLM, what about contentment? … Maybe mindfulness will take me there ….)
What I saw when I looked at the puzzle was: power, then self, then gratitude. In my life I tend to give my power away to other people, outside forces, allowing my self to be led rather than lead my own thoughts and feelings. I need this wake up today to start the new year in the right frame of mind. So that I am able to give love and compassion and understanding and acceptance of those around me.
Such good thoughts, Rhoda!
My word is “Blessed”. I find myself thinking and saying that I am blessed so many times, in good times and trying times. My family, my health , my community and my life , are all blessings from God. When I am having a bad day, it is uplifting to remember those blessings.