I just finished writing a letter to my future self. As my friend
 Rich Roll mentioned in his end-of-year recap, it's time to Pause, Breathe, and Reflect as he rocked our P.B.R. beanie in style!
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What a year it's been!!!Â
Over three hundred sixty-five days, we created countless moments, each perfectly imperfect. Some were horrific and devoid of humanity. Many left us worried or shaking our heads in wonder at our actions. We cheered, danced, sang, watched, listened, spoke up, felt, hated, and loved. We cozied up in some moments and felt naked during others, sometimes intentionally. Life was unpredictable yet, in some ways, so predictable. We felt confident and, at times, like impostors. We cried through the pain and laughed until we cried. We made new friends, said goodbye to some, and mourned those we lost. Some days were bright pink; others were orange, the 2023 new black for Mother Earth. We stumbled, broke, healed, and celebrated our resilience like kintsugi and could've P.B.R.'d through a few more momentsâjust saying. We toggled between screens and returned to the office, othered (sadly), created a sense of belonging (thankfully), and tried to figure out how to dance with AI. We thought that if you're the man, it must be easy to take away freedoms, and today, we remain hopeful for a new era.
Tonight, we gracefully slide into 2024 within our colorful kaleidoscope of memories. Although I'm not great with predictions, I'm confident that the only predictable thing in life is that the unpredictable will happen, and we will add color to our future ripples.
We live at an inflection point. It's complicated, complex, and messyâexactly where history is made. Today, we lose more people to drive-thrus than drive-by shootings and still haven't processed the early years of this decade. Leaders distract us from existential crises of our timeâclimate change, peace, income inequality, care for the marginalized, healthcare freedom, and AI with trivial issues like books and bathrooms. This moment calls for thoughtful, mindful action.
It's also time to shift our perspective on mindfulness. Yes, mindfulness can ease stress, and it also expands our awareness, sharpens our focus, and helps us find the sweet spot between hypo and hyper-arousal, like a surfer riding a wave.Â
It helps us do hard things that are called for today across businesses, communities, and within our homes. It also helps us create colorful ripples.
And in 2024, we get an extra day! Awesome sauce!Â
So, imagine what could happen if we used our moments to focus on what truly mattersâshowing people they are heard, seen, and loved; healing and promoting peace; setting up future generations for success; letting Mother Earth know we care and getting after the shi(f)t that truly needs to get done.Â
Thank you for your ripples this year. I can't wait to see how you will show up in 2024. Happy New Year! Be safe!Â
PS:Â
Here are a few ways to stay connected next year:
- 1/2 Day Silent Retreat on Jan 6th
- Social Media: LinkedIn and IG
- Inspirational text messages (text "pbr" to 503-487-5957)
- Executive Coaching, Speaking, and my new group coaching program
- The Kintsugi Podcast