Happy New Year. Hello, new.
New can feel uncertain. It can also feel fresh and quietly exciting.
For me, new is not about starting again. It is about carrying forward what I’ve learned – and opening the next annual chapter with a little more wisdom, perspective, and intention. Life is not a series of restarts, but a continuing story. Each year invites us to write the next pages with greater awareness of who we are and what matters most.
Yes, every day is new. Every conversation is new.
And yet there is something quietly significant about this moment – nestled within the festive pause – when we can notice: another year completed, another year ahead.
In My Manifesto, we write, “There is nowhere for us to arrive at, but there is a way to be.” A new year does not demand reinvention, but it does invite reflection. How do I wish to be this year? What do I want to carry forward? What might I gently release?
Perhaps there is one new habit to explore.
Or one new way of showing up – just once, or perhaps more often.
Perhaps there is a phrase, a sentence, or a few carefully chosen words that feel like they want to guide the year ahead.
This is where leaning into your personal manifesto can be especially powerful. Returning to your words – or beginning to shape new ones – can offer clarity and steadiness as the year unfolds. Many people find this time of year ideal for revisiting key phrases that still resonate, or noticing new messages that are quietly emerging and ready to be articulated in an upcoming manifesto.
As we step into 2026, we do so with gratitude. This year marks four years of weekly blogs for My Manifesto – four years of reflection, inquiry, and shared humanity. We are excited about what lies ahead, including new cohorts embarking on the Manifesto journey – our general series, our school leadership series, and our parenting series. Each represents a commitment to living with greater intention, care, and alignment.
Wherever this new year finds you, may it be one in which you feel supported to live your way of being – thoughtfully, compassionately, and true to yourself.
Wishing our world, and your community, a very happy New Year for 2026.
Go well.