This is a good time of year to give an honest evaluation of our New Year’s resolutions. We’ve already started the second month of 2026 and are beginning to see the shape of who and what we will be for the rest of the year. Oh, we can make some changes and often do. But have you noticed that in general, the life we live hasn’t dramatically changed all that much–or is that just me? And no, I’m not talking about job changes, moving, becoming a parent, or grandparent. I’m talking about the day-to-day person we are.
Truthfully, with the things that matter most to me, I haven’t really changed all that much through the years. You know, the “core of who I am” kind of stuff. Over time, I have grown deeper in love with myself and with humanity as a whole. And I like that about me. Now I’m not crazy about all the details in my life, and I make minor changes constantly so that I can better care for myself. Those things will always be there because they are part of practical self-care: brushing my teeth twice a day, eating healthy foods, going to the doctor, and so on.
So the new year has come and gone, and I am essentially on track with my goals. Who knows, my goals and ideals might change over time as I choose, but for now, this is who I am. And here’s the crazy thing: the more love I grow for other people, the more in love with myself I become. Now, I’m not a spiritual anyone, a psychologist, a scholar, or a trained philosopher, either. But I am a seeker, and therefore I hope, still a learner.
I still try to see and understand more of people’s humanity, you know, the things that make them tick and why. I can’t change the choices that they make or the lives they choose to live, whether I agree with them or not; people make their own decisions. And when that fails, I always try to see their divinity because life is a gift. No, actually a miracle.
You and I are not random accidents the universe unintentionally created. Being you probably feels common or normal. But mathematically, you came into being from innumerable possibilities. When you truly break it down to how you came to be, the odds of you being exactly who you are are inestimable. When I look for that in every human being on the planet, I truly do see the divinity in them. And as I age, my love and awe in that miracle are constantly growing. That, my friends, is the core of who I am and continue to become.
Oh, by the way, I did make a real and true New Year’s resolution that I sincerely hope I remember to keep. Want to know what it is? Well, here you go: I’m speaking for January 2026, Trudy, to late November 2026, Trudy: When the holiday season rolls around again at the end of the year, do yourself a favor and don’t plan on doing household projects because you won’t get around to doing them. Instead, give yourself permission to just enjoy–no, revel–in the holidays because they only come once a year. Then you can avoid the whole guilt thing of not getting to those projects because they will get done in time. And that is what the long winter months are for: finishing boring projects. In the meantime, make some great memories for 2026 because, as you already know, it won’t last for long!
