This is not only a new year, but it is also the first full year of my next sabbath year cycle. As such, before I define the focus for this year, I also need to define the guiding vision that will serve me for the next seven years.

Sometime over the past few years and idea stood out to me – words that had a version with an ‘en’ or ’em’ prefix – encourage, empower, enrich, enable, enjoy, embolden, etc.

En Words

Both ‘en’ and ’em’ are related variants that serve as a prefix that means “in,” “into,” “to cause” or “put into a state.” Enable literally means to make something able – to give (someone or something) the authority or means to do something.

Among the list of root words that ‘en’ modifies are a number of concepts that are very interesting on their own right. Courage is one of Aristotle’s 12 virtues, joy is one of the fruits of the Spirt in the Bible, power is something often studied by leaders, etc.

I realized I could study the word, learn about the concept, and then focus on what it meant to give them to someone rather than just holding onto it myself.

I’ve reached a point in my life where I’m not really as focused on ambition and achievement. I’ve accomplished the things I wanted to out of life. I have everything I need. I don’t need to struggle to obtain more. There are diminishing or even negative returns on attempting to get more of anything I might want. The drive that got me here won’t serve me much going forward.

So for this chapter I will shift my focus a bit to focus externally on how I can use my energy to improve the situation of others.

Guiding Vision

My guiding vision for these seven year is to learn about concepts and gift the benefits of them to others. To be a force in the world for the good of others. To help them acquire something that will help them and those around them.

Some things this might look like:

• learning about courage and the benefits of it, and helping others to find their courage
• study the concept of power and how it accumulates and find ways to distribute it to others who don’t have it
• the think about the concept of richness and what it would look like to make something more rich

I’m excited to dive into this period.