When the year begins differently

We’re just at the beginning of 2026, and if I’m honest, it hasn’t arrived with the softness I was hoping for. The year opened with unexpected friction, complications I didn’t see coming, and a sense of weight I hadn’t prepared myself to carry.

At first, I let that disappointment speak louder than it should. The script I had in my mind — of what this year was meant to be — didn’t match the reality unfolding in front of me. And that mismatch tempted me into a mindset I know too well: the belief that a rough start means a hard year ahead.

But sitting with it, I saw something different.

Maybe the difficulty wasn’t a sign that things were off-track, maybe it was just a sign that I was expecting the path to be smoother than real life ever promises. Maybe my disappointment didn’t come from the problems themselves, but from my assumption that there wouldn’t be any.

Problems are not anomalies. They’re not interruptions to a perfect plan. They’re part of the design, a feature of life, not a flaw.

When I reframed it that way, something shifted. I realised I didn’t need to be thrown off every time things didn’t go to plan. I could choose to meet challenges without spiralling into doubt or emotion. I could focus on what I can do: stay calm, stay clear, and solve step by step.

Because here’s the truth I keep returning to, every one of us has already survived and solved more than we give ourselves credit for. The tools are already within us. The only thing we really need to do is believe that we’re capable. Again and again.

We’ve overcome before. We will again.

What expectations might you need to let go of in order to see your challenges more clearly?

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