Our Nudge Word For The New Year - Editorial
If you have not heard already, a trend as of recent years is to ditch the concept of a New Year’s resolution in favor of something more simple, yet also more expansive: a nudge word. We are not sure when or where they really started, nor who is responsible for popularizing the concept but nevertheless, we are grateful.
The task of choosing a nudge word is refreshingly easy: pick a word, any word, that accurately reflects the values, intentions, and vision you want to bring to life in the coming year.
Many stick to the classics: Happiness. Peace. Love. These nudge words are easily interpretable and accessible to everyone—the low-hanging fruit of nudge words, if you will.
But our nudge word this year is different. Our 2024 word is hope.
Hope.
Now that is a word that is often undervalued.
But without hope, what do we have?
Hope is the first step. It’s the beginning. It’s the tiny seed from which all these grander, more alluring concepts grow.
As 2024 approaches, who could blame us if we felt anxious and powerless. War rages in Gaza and Ukraine. Bigotry of all shapes and sizes rages across America, further dividing an already divided nation. Right here in this town there are people who are homeless, hungry, struggling or feeling unsafe or unwelcome. Sometimes it feels like there is no end in sight and that those in power (or those who seek power) are too arrogant, ignorant and self-aggrandizing to see past their own bloated self-importance.
In the new year, our wish is that we, together, can all find a way to cultivate hope in many, many things.
Here is our incomplete list:
May we overcome our differences (or indifferences) so we can work toward building connections rather than building walls;
May we find new, better ways to communicate and to listen to one another so that we can learn from the people and stories that make up our community;
May we cultivate compassion and humanity in our hearts and remain open to new ideas, new experiences and new stories from new people;
May we have the courage to face our fears and prejudices and see them for what they actually are;
May we work to spread peace in our world, across lands both near and far, and may we nurture the understanding and tolerance for each other that is necessary to do so.
So, here’s to what we learned in 2023 and to what 2024 has in store for us.
Happy New Year, Bourne!