Audacious.

It’s the word I chose to describe myself as a high school senior. I don’t know if it was actually true or more of a goal, but that word has inspired me in many ways through the years.

What are your favorite words?

What we choose to focus upon matters.

The man who recently threw me out of his life had a favorite word: defenestrate.

The irony is not lost on me.

What we choose to put in the center of our lives matters.

When I was in elementary school, I won the honor of going to a district spelling bee. I studied hard and did very well but was ousted by the word precipice. I didn’t know how to spell it or what it meant. I quickly learned. The unfamiliar became familiar. Instead of resenting the word, I respected it. But it will never be a favorite.

Sometimes we choose favorites. And sometimes we choose to respect something but keep our distance.

We need to choose both well.