My Word for 2022 – Absorb!

What’s the reason for selecting a word for the New Year? Well, if you take it seriously, it can help you stay focused as you prioritize goals and actions necessary to help make your year successful. Besides, it’s fun!

My word for last year was Prioritize, and boy was it right on target and necessary during my challenging year. Not only was my sister and I caregiving my dad, but I also had a manuscript to complete, a proposal to prepare, articles to write, and a family that needed my attention. Most of my manuscript writing and editing took place by my dad’s side in the hospital.

My calendar had no empty days for downtime. Prioritizing was a must if I wanted to follow through with commitments and responsibilities. My dad has now moved to his home in heaven, but I have no regrets. I wrote while he slept and visited when he was awake and alert.

The fact is, prioritize was the perfect word for me last year. Oh, that romantic suspense novel I worked on at the hospital, Pursued in the Wilderness, secured a contract with Love Inspired Suspense, and releases September 27, 2022. Who says you can’t write anywhere?

So, why have I selected “Absorb” for 2022?

• It’s my desire to absorb all God has for me this year. I don’t want to just read the Bible; I want to be like a sponge and soak in His Word and be the person He desires of me.
• I want to absorb all the writing instructional books still sitting on my shelf to continue growing in character development, plotting, story structure, active voice, dialogue, show don’t tell, etc. You get the picture.
• I desire to absorb the kindness and love of my friends, writing friends, and acquaintances and reciprocate those friendships.
• I want to absorb the love of my family and the time we have together. I don’t want to take their presence in my life for granted.

I could talk more about what I could absorb, but what good is it if you don’t share with others? It’s not a selfish absorption. It’s intentional, so I can become a better me and share what I’ve learned.

If you haven’t decided on a word for the New Year or you aren’t “word” oriented, it’s perfectly okay. But if you selected one, I’d like to hear yours and why you chose it.   

Award-winning author Loretta Eidson lives by the motto ‘never a dull moment,’ especially with her husband, four children, and thirteen grandchildren. Her love of reading began during the required library time in middle school, where she devoured Phyllis Whitney’s mystery novels. She left her eighteen-year admin position at her church to pursue the dream of writing. She has multiple short stories in anthologies, but her heart is writing romantic suspense. She believes in the power of prayer and loves putting her hero and heroine in realistic predicaments where they must trust God to pull them through.

Loretta’s literary agent is Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency.

You can connect with Loretta on her website at lorrettae.staging.wpengine.com, on her Facebook author page www.facefook.com/lorettaeidsonauthor or her monthly newsletter lorrettae.staging.wpengine.com/newsletter-signup/

Happy New Year!

Loretta