Soul Food-Out with the Old/In with the New (one word changes it all)
SURRENDER
As I reflect on the past year of 2025, I, like many of you, stand at the shoreline of a new year, waiting to step onto a beach of untouched sand. The promise of a clean slate is as inviting as the first page of a blank journal. It reminds me of my small Buddha board—my own little pool of possibility—nestled by my reading chair. With each brushstroke dipped in water, I watch my thoughts appear and then vanish like footprints at the water’s edge. The Buddha board is my quiet retreat, a gentle reminder that every mark, worry, or wish is as fleeting as morning mist.Unfortunately, this past year, that chair has been a deserted harbor—I rarely anchored myself there. That’s going to change for 2026. I’ve realized, as I spent most of 2025 stamping out fires I didn’t ignite—wrangling government bureaucracy and navigating the labyrinth of children’s services—my sleepless nights became a restless sea, churning with worry. (And I don’t even live in Seattle!)
What I have learned is that life is a garden where you can only tend your own plot; try as you might, you can’t prune the wildflowers in someone else’s. Unless you’re raising a child—and even then, you must step lightly, whisper encouragement, and leave the big stick at the shed door.
What I do know is I’ve poured too many precious hours into sandcastles that the tide of time will wash away—things that, when I’m watching my life’s highlight reel from a cloud above, won’t even earn a mention.
As long as I’m reflecting on 2025, and realizing I wasted too much time on:
- Wasting minutes, hours, or days scrolling my phone on non-sensical things, fake news, and other people’s glorious or disastrous events
- Checking notifications on my phone every other minute
- Going through dozens of emails that I didn’t request from who knows who or where
- Getting upset over this petty thing, or frustrated over my PC, annoyed over the clerk at the store (who obviously doesn’t give a flying F _ _ _ )
- Giving my power away to every Tom, Dick, and Harry
- On HOLD on the phone for HOURS, and NO, this is NOT an exaggeration.
- Searching for information without knowing why, questioning if it mattered at all.
- I’m sure I’ve forgotten at least a dozen or more things (go ahead, add yours to this list)
All these swirling thoughts gather to one point:
If we choose to trust a higher power—God, the Universe, whatever name you give it—we can let the river of life carry us, clearing space on our shore for what truly enriches our days.
- Spending time in that chair in my room to read
- Reading all those Astrological periodicals that are gathering dust as I speak
- Going to the Rec Center, in the winter, even if icicles are dripping down my nose, to get that walk in.
- Getting out in nature at least once a day, sitting in your car, and looking at the newly fallen snow on the leaves in the Metroparks
- In the Spring, Summer, and Fall, we have absolutely NO excuse not to go out in nature at least once a day.
GOING FISHING! I’ve fished maybe twice in the last 2 ½ years, and my excuses are just that: excuses.
- Cuz I don’t know what I’m doing when I’m flyfishing
- I’m afraid I’ll fall in the Rocky River (it’s called Rocky for a reason)
- I don’t want to look like I haven’t a clue (which I don’t)
- DOING ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! (which I have a real problem with)
This is what I’ve done in 2026: (notice this is as if I’ve accomplished these things):
I SPENT MORE TIME:
- Surrendering (let go, let God)
- Doing what I love, because I got rid of all my phone notifications (WTF did we do before cell phones)
- Actually scheduled time to READ each & every day.
- Drank a cup of tea each morning, doing absolutely nothing else but that
- Meditated each & every day
- Spent at least 10 minutes daily in nature (anyone can spare that much)
- Made someone’s day, at least 365 days for 2026. This is so F _ _ _ _ _ _ easy, I don’t know why everyone doesn’t do this?
- Read my periodicals when they arrive (or within 24 hours)
- Walked every day (even if it’s minus-7 wind chill). There’s the Rec Center; it’s heated.
- Wrote in my Gratitude journal EACH & EVERY day.
- I made notes on my dreams each morning before getting up. As a Oneirologist, I know their value, but I often skip this because my dreams are as long as my conversations, voicemails, and texts. I’m working on brevity.
I ask YOU for 2026: what are you going to STOP doing so you have more time to DO what you LOVE? Make yourself a list, put it in a special spot, then on New Year’s Eve 2026, read it and see how you did.
I have a couple of books that come to mind (actually 50+) that I’ve read and would like to share with you for 2026 (these aren’t new, but they deserve a read). Email me at [email protected] & I’ll send you my .pdf copy.
Stay tuned for the Full Moon blog coming out in a few days.
Rosie & I send our Blessings to you for 20206.
