Find Wonder and Awe 🙏🏽
Image by @AaronAmat
This essay was originally published in my January 2025 newsletter. All content was written by me (not AI)
The New Year
I wonder if from now until whenever it is that I pass that the turn of each month will feel like a surprise. The time just goes, and a new month is what solidifies the passing of time.
We’re entering the year of the Horse in February, and that got me thinking about the passing of time. I don’t want to gallop through 2026 without taking notice of time passing.
I want to move forward with intention and purpose.
Besides the political environment, and war, and all that’s wrong in the world, my life is pretty good, and I want to be able to savor and appreciate the goodness.
Even when things don’t feel good, I want to be able to appreciate life’s complexities.
As we move through the conclusion of the year of the Snake, I want to shed mindlessness.
I’d like to let go of:
Mindless scrolling.
Mindless spending.
Work that feels misaligned.
Disconnection from my body’s sensations.
Saying “yes” when I would rather so “no.”
There’s probably more I could list, but the point is for 2026 —the year of the Horse— I want to be present in my life. I don’t want this year to move ahead without me pausing to savor love, kindness, aligned relationships, meaningful work, beauty, puppies and dogs and kittens, baby goats, the natural world… I could go on and on.
I’d like 2026 to be the year of mindfulness, and savoring, and awe. But it’s hard to savor and see everyday miracles if we’re scrolling, or caught up in worry, or our to-do lists.
Here are three practices that can help you feel more present and grounded:
Take three slow deep breaths. Fill your chest and belly when you inhale. The slowly let the air out, extending the exhale. Contract your belly pulling it in towards your back. This stimulates your vagus nerve and your parasympathetic nervous system so that you can feel more at ease.
Notice your feet on the floor. Feel the soles of your feet where they make contact with the earth below. Imagine roots extending from the bottoms of your feet down deep into the center of the earth. Imagine Mother Earth’s energy moving up through the roots, into your feet, and through your body.
Cross your arms and give yourself a hug. Then gently—or firmly if that feels better—pat the opposite arm alternating left and right hands. Do this for as long as you need to feel comforted and settled.
When you’re present and grounded, you’re able to savor and enjoy the life in front of you. And maybe you’ll begin to notice the everyday miracles that happen all the time— sunsets, sunrises, a beautiful leaf, a snuggle from your pet—the things we take for granted that fill us with love.
I share a few more ideas for mindful awareness in the next episode of the AYWW podcast, that airs on January 12th.
If there are practices you use to help you feel more present and alive, I’d love to hear them!
If you struggle to hold feelings wonder and joy in your heart, I just added this meditation, Connecting with Joy, to Insight Timer and the Circle Membership.