Living with Significance

Many people adopt a power word as they begin a new year. Often it is a word that defines their mind-set and focus for the coming year. During the final weeks of 2022, I began searching for a word that would characterize 2023. Because this is a milestone year, celebrating 60 years of life, 30 years of ministry and marriage, the word significance has become my power word for this year.

Significance means having the quality of being "significant" — meaningful, important. It also refers to the meaning of something. A certain date might have significance because it's your birthday or anniversary. For me significance goes beyond mere dates on the calendar, it’s a way of living and being in the world that governs how I spend my time, energy, and resources. Significance makes sense of our lived experiences causing us to measure our years, not in the number of days, but in the impact our lives have and will make on others.

Significance is also about where we place our attention. It shapes our goals, aims and direction in life. Living with significance limits our time, energy and resources to the people, places and things that are consistent with our call, purpose, and passion.

Significance narrows our focus, causing us to become laser accurate in the way live. It helps to connect the dots and find meaning in our past and present reality. Yet, significance points to our future in ways that give us hope, joy, vision, creativity and vigor for new possibilities, opportunities, relationships, and experiences.

I invite you to join me in living with significance,

Dr. Toni