"Happy New Year of 2026" Weekly Wisdom

 

Happy New Year!  How is yours going so far?  We are wrapping up the first quarter of the year and here I am rolling in, right on time to align with my New Year and maybe a few additional bonus weeks to boot. I have started 2026 with a bang and look forward to keeping it up allll year long!

I have seen so many of you sharing your intentions or words of the year. I would love to know where you all come up with your words?  Are you on the lookout all year? Does it come to you right before the ball drops? How have your previous words played out for you?

I know it may seem a little cliche to pick a work every year, but I think setting an intention for what you want in your life is never a cliche. It helps set the tone for you: how you will show up, how you will live each day, how you will keep yourself on task. All of these are very difficult because with all best intentions can become all things lost. 

Ever heard of "National Quitters Day" being January 17th for when we begin to bail on our new years resolutions? And by the 2nd week in February, almost 80% of us are over it. This includes that "word" we designate for the year.

Maybe it isn't a word for you, maybe it is something else. How are you keeping the fire alive all year around?  My word and intention for the year is "INPUTS."  All day every day, I am exposed to inputs. Television, news, books, music, prayer, podcasts, conversations, social media, articles, friends, family, peers - the list is endless. 

The average human may process 34 GB of information a day or 100,000 words or roughly 2 books or spending an average 11.8 hours consuming information across all channels. 

This is why I chose my word. If I am absorbing all this information during the day, I need to make sure I am choosing quality inputs. I am going to decrease the doom scroll, be mindful of negativity (but still being aware of what is happening around me), choose quality sources from people I admire, and finally, surround myself with people who lift me up, not bring me down. 

Share with me your word and let's start maximizing each other's inputs. 

#Inputs | #EmbraceTheHellYeah

~AE

"Walking Into the New Year" Weekly Wisdom

 

There is something quietly sacred about the moment when one year fades and another begins. Not the presents, fireworks, party hats, or countdowns — but the space between. The pause. The soft exhale when you close one chapter, and the tentative breath before writing the next one.

When I look back over the past months, I see more than just a list of dates and events. I see growth. I see lessons learned — sometimes a little messy (like my kitchen after I cook) and also sometimes tender and unexpected. And I see hope. Because endings aren’t just endings. They’re thresholds.

Once again, I am always going to choose joy because I’ve decided it's worth the effort.  It’s not a reckless kind of joy. It’s not denying what has been hard. It’s not sweeping things under the rug and pretending none of it ever mattered. No — this is the kind of joy that rises from honesty and acceptance. 

Maybe you’re walking into the new year  a little bruised, worn, or tired. Maybe you’ve been carrying grief, disappointment, or unmet expectations. Maybe you’ve felt small, stuck, or invisible. I know that mindspace overload.But this — this turning of the page — doesn’t erase what happened in 2025. Instead, it gives you room to breathe. Room for growth. Room to be gentle on yourself. Room to choose what you want to carry forward.

And you don’t have to choose it all at once. Sometimes joy looks like one deep breath when you wake in the morning. Sometimes it’s the whisper of a new intention. Sometimes — it’s the small, quiet, consistent choices: a kinder thought, a braver step, and even saying no. The ending of this year and the start of the new year won’t ask you to be perfect. It won’t wait for you to figure it all out. It will meet you where you are. 

May the end of this year remind you of how far you’ve come, how deeply you’ve grown, and how much strength you gained without even noticing. And as the new year opens its door to you, may you walk forward steadier than before, braver than you know, and willing to let joy find its way in — on purpose.

#Freedom | #EmbraceTheHellYeah

~AE

"Setting the Mood" Weekly Wisdom

 

 I haven't put up a Christmas tree up in my house for over 10 years. 

2015 changed my whole view on what holidays are really about and missing your heartbeats during one of their favorite times of the year, just didn't feel the same. The tree, the decorations, the music, the gifts really had no meaning to me. My Dad and sister loved Christmas and it just has never felt the same way since. For any of you who have lost loved ones, I see you and I understand your feelings.

This year, I was shopping with a friend and saw this sweet little 3 foot white tree and I started to feel a little different. I passed by it a couple times and decided it needed to come home with me. It stayed wrapped up by my back door for a couple weeks, I couldn't decide if this would be the year I would put it up. But then I put it together. I added lights. I added a couple ornaments. I set it up downstairs in the living room. The next day, I moved it to the kitchen. I just was not finding a placed that I loved it. 

Then I set it up in my bedroom. 

Maybe it is the ambience, maybe it the sense of comfort. Maybe it's the reminder of a those heartbeats who I miss deeply this time of year. Whatever has changed this year, it feels good and I am open to whatever this time of year is trying to tell me. I hope all of you are experiencing some special holiday feels this time of year and remembering the reason for the season. 

#EmbraceTheHellYeah | #Freedom

~AE