12.31.23 // 2024 AUDACITY

AUDACITY.
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Starting in 2015, @nick_kleiner and I have picked a “word of the year” towards the end of each December.
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It started on a snowy morning in Washington, D.C., with both of us huddled over our coffees wondering what the next year would bring, and discussing the restrictive nature of “New Year’s resolutions”.
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On that morning, we decided to choose words instead of resolutions because we didn’t want rigid goals, we didn’t want numbers, and we didn’t want to create unhealthy expectations in the coming months.
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The rules: the word could be anything, but it stays throughout the year. It could be inspirational, grounding, or motivational. It could be a noun, a verb, or an adjective. There were no limits.
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2016, the year of courage.
2017, there wasn’t a word.
2018, the year of truth.
2019, the year of growth.
2020, the year of freedom.
2021, the year of trust.
2022, the year of bold.
2023, the year of surrender.
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And 2024?
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2024 is the year of AUDACITY.
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We’ve seen that word thrown around a lot in the past few years. I imagine most of us have heard this phrase or a variation of “Where did X get the audacity?!”
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Well, I want to be X.
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I want to be audacious for the first time in my life.
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I want to be so brutally and beautifully myself that I allow others to step into their audacity as well. As Nick said when we worked on nailing down this word, “It’s like you’re finally owning what has always been.”
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Yes. It is a stepping into my power, it is “a willingness to take bold risks.” I want to have the audacity to let others dislike me without grappling for a reason why they should like me.
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Audacity feels like the opposite of people-pleasing, of shrinking myself to fit in other’s lives and needs, and it boldly pushes me more towards...well, ME.
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The other definition of audacity is “rude, disrespectful behavior; impudence.” I don’t want to be rude, but you’re damn right I want to be disruptive. I don’t want to fall in line and be quiet to keep you comfortable. I want to speak and act in ways that feel true to me, even if it falls outside of the expected mold. I want to have the audacity.
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2024, I’m ready for you, I’m ready for AUDACITY.