It’s about that point, mates.
One yr is closing. One other is opening.
I promised I’d replace you all on my gratitude journal practices for the yr. I added some new columns. Carried out some new routines.
And I’m completely happy to let you understand how 2025 went.
Be a part of me and get began with your personal gratitude journal.
We’re all simply strolling one another dwelling.
As annually closes, I make some sort of artwork challenge with my gratitude journal. I’ve referred to it earlier than as a “reverse imaginative and prescient board.”
Usually, I take advantage of the most typical or most enjoyable phrases from my journal, reworking the written textual content into some sort of picture with letters and sentences.
This yr, I did one thing a bit of completely different. I gathered up a bunch of pictures and printed out bodily images. Analog is the brand new digital, afterall.
I began out by utilizing this sample, however I had ordered an entire ton of images. I ended up adjusting the sample to make it greater:
These pictures embodied magical moments discovered within the textual content of my gratitude journal. They displayed individuals and locations I used to be grateful in direction of. They represented pleasure and alternatives I don’t wish to overlook.
Whereas in most years, the textual content evokes a picture, this yr the photographs evoked a phrases. As I stood again and took within the completed product, a phrase washed over me. The Ram Dass quote:
We’re all simply strolling one another dwelling.
I’m supremely grateful for the methods during which individuals have proven up for me in love and compassion. I really feel at most peace within the moments the place I do the identical for others.
Shifting into 2026, I believe this quote could also be my guiding drive. I believe it will be lovely if all of us acted in a method that ensured the protection, peace and safety of others as we stroll via this factor known as life collectively. In moments of overwhelm, I’ll do my greatest to pause and guarantee that is the place I’m performing from. To permit gratitude to provide extra of itself.
The Issues I Wished
One of many new-ish columns I promised to replace you on was the ‘I need…’ column. The concept was to see if writing these items down produced outcomes, both via reinforcement or magical manifestation.
Study extra in regards to the construction of my gratitude journal.
General, I wrote down about 30 distinctive issues I wished via the yr. Typically I phrased every ‘factor’ in a different way, however all of them match into 30 distinct classes. Clearly numerous them have been repeats.
Of those 30 issues, listed here are the outcomes on the finish of 2025:
- Twelve of the issues I wished definitively got here true.
- Eight of the issues I wished definitively didn’t.
- I’ve 5 issues tallied as “not but.” I’m staying optimistic that they’re in my future. The door isn’t closed. They simply haven’t proven up but on the time of writing.
- I had two alternatives for one in every of my ‘needs’ this yr. As soon as I succeeded. As soon as I failed. So it’s a half-and-half final result on that one.
- 4 of the needs I wished have been not possible, and never within the ‘you must nonetheless swing for it‘ sort of method. Issues like perpetual well being and happiness for the individuals I really like. I can’t put them within the ‘sure’ or ‘no’ column, as these items ebb and movement as part of the human situation. However I’m extraordinarily grateful for each time they swung into the ‘sure’ space — even when they’ll’t be perpetual.
So total? I’d name this experiment successful. Miraculous outcomes on numerous fronts. The need column stays.
It was attention-grabbing as a result of a few of these issues I had utterly forgotten writing down on this wish-like column. To see that they’d been fulfilled was fairly wonderful.
However for many of them, I used to be an lively participant.
Classes from wanting
There have been two huge classes I took away from this train this yr. One I’ve had experiential information of for a very long time:
If you would like one thing, you’ve received to indicate up and take a look at.
A few of these issues I wished have been very huge, very tough issues. It might have been tremendous simple to jot down them off as unachievable.
But once I confirmed up, alternative opened. Not each time — there have been nonetheless eight arduous ‘no’s. We are able to’t all the time get what we would like.
However there’s no method I’d have gotten to 12 within the ‘sure’ column with out performing on the dream. Typically they occurred in methods I had foreseen. Different instances, my actions led to home windows opening in methods I couldn’t have imagined.
Manifestation might occur each on occasion happenstancely, however by-and-large getting the issues I wished required me to take part. To strive. Even when the end result wasn’t assured.
The opposite lesson is one thing that I wrote in a paid-subscriber e-newsletter again within the day. I could publish it right here within the coming weeks. I’ve identified it to be true for fairly a while, however in 2025, it confirmed up in a magnitude I don’t know that I’ve skilled earlier than.
It’s this:
Belief that should you ask, individuals will present up.
I just lately talked on the Vibe with Ky podcast about how previously, I’ve been reluctant to ask for assist. It’s one thing I’ve been engaged on. In 2025, I expressed my wants (and needs) to others in a method I don’t suppose I’ve previously. I plowed via the disgrace guilt — which we shouldn’t really feel when voicing such issues, however we frequently do.
Wouldn’t you already know it?
Folks confirmed up in huge methods.
Methods I couldn’t have imagined. Methods I’ll bear in mind for the remainder of my life.
So whereas part of getting the issues I wished or wanted in 2025 was exhibiting up myself, it was additionally made potential by the sturdy village of individuals behind me. We’re not alone on this world.
We’re all simply strolling one another dwelling.
The ‘No’ column
My ‘no’ column was sparse. I didn’t wish to give attention to the destructive, so I didn’t write down three issues a day.
I believe this was the precise transfer.
See how the ‘no’ part is structured right here.
Nevertheless, it wasn’t as profitable as the opposite three columns in my gratitude journal.
An enormous a part of that’s that numerous the issues I wish to say ‘no’ to are crucial elements of each day life.
Like coping with telecom firms, for instance.
Nightmare each time.
Get it out of my life.
Please.
However alas, in 2025, I nonetheless wanted the web to operate. As a lot as I want I might take away myself, it’s one thing I’ve to have interaction with.
One other a part of it’s that I must work this muscle extra. There have been a number of issues I wished to eject from my life that weren’t absolute requirements. I made some progress on this ceremony, however I might stand to make some extra.
I don’t suppose the answer is to up it to 3 line gadgets each day. However I do suppose I must flip to the again of the guide and remind myself why issues are on this ‘no’ column extra typically.
Completely happy 2026
I don’t wish to sugarcoat issues. There have been tough moments this yr. Seasons of profound loss. Transitions I went into kicking and screaming.
Life is rarely static. There is no such thing as a mountain peak the place every part is ideal.
However on this imperfect expertise we name life, we do have the facility to jot down (and rewrite) our personal narratives. To make use of these narratives in direction of empowerment — monetary or in any other case. Even when the world round us feels bleak at instances.
Over time, this has been a very useful train to assist me do exactly that. Should you’d like to have interaction in it, too, right here’s the place you’ll be able to get a replica of your personal gratitude journal for the yr forward.
Wishing you and yours a fantastic, peaceable 2026. And whether it is none of these issues, I hope you at the very least get 12 of the 30 stuff you need amidst all of the mess.
