NEW YEAR 2026

People often say they will pray for us. These days I equate thinking with praying.

The way I send energy to those I love, have loved, genuinely care for and appreciate for their impact on my life, is to spend some time thinking about them. I remember stories they have shared with me, remind myself what it was that drew me to them, think about all they did for me, how their lives improved the lives of those around them. I imagine them as I remember last seeing them and envision all, whether living or dead with an aura of light embracing them. 

The mind is a powerful tool for change, whether it is asked to change our behavior, change the trajectory of the world, or to work out just what is best to be done day to day. We are fortunate when our mind is still enough to find its way through all the distractions and demands our lives thrust upon us.

And if I know anything after these nearly 83 years of learning to think, it is that each mind has to be respected for what it can do for itself. We can all be influenced, but that influence has to be filtered through a sense of individuality. Too easily led means less able to find the power of one's own mind, the existential strength of self-reliance. 

Whether it be religion, family, career pressure or deep dissatisfaction with life, the only way is to go through it, taking our thoughts along as an irrefutable source of power. Falling back on our own resources trains the instincts, hones the emotions and builds strength found nowhere else.

We are our own answer. When we join with others who are also aware of that, we create a human force field that has the possibility to effect change.

May you find good changes in 2026 and some hope for the possible, out of despair at the ridiculous.