A Practice for Closing the Year

                              Photo by Philipp Torres on Unsplash

Five word to carry into 2026: “Smile, breathe, and go slowly.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh

Feel the words as you say them, paying attention to your body.

Does this quote by Thich Nhat Hanh shift anything?

Like me, you might have always focused outward. Life’s ups and downs remind me that slowing down, smiling, and breathing fully is beneficial.

Five simple words. A daily practice that can change our whole perspective.

Smile

Our lives don’t need to be perfect to be smiling; they just require mindful awareness.

You’ve likely seen babies laughing or cute animals and smiled. 

There’s probably a special person in your life, and you feel your heart lift and your face light up.

Maybe it doesn’t even need to be someone you know. I’ve had this happen to me with a complete stranger. When you see someone smiling from ear to ear, filled with joy, you can’t help but smile too.

Life is better when you approach it with a smile. You don’t know how much you can brighten someone else’s day with something so simple.

A smile would make things better in most situations, but sometimes it feels impossible. That’s okay too.

Look for reasons to smile, whether it’s loved ones or strangers. Smiling breeds more joy, and who doesn’t want more of that?

Give it a try and see how much lighter and happier you feel. Your smile is a beautiful gift; share it. Do you feel different?

Breathe. 

We all breathe, but are we really?

When things seem chaotic, remember to breathe.

Be aware of your breath as it flows gently in and out of your body. When stressed, return your focus to your breath.

For me, just breathing means concentrating solely on nourishing our bodies with air and fostering a deep sense of internal safety.

Breathing exercises are now an important part of my daily routine. I can’t start or end my day without them.

If overwhelmed, forget about everything and take one slow deep breath at a time.

If scared, forget about what might hurt you and take care of yourself, one slow deep breath at a time.

The world inside our heads is often more chaotic than the outside world. We have power to calm it by remembering to breathe.

Breathing consciously has helped me overcome anxiety and provided a gateway into peace, reminding me that every day is filled with choices.

The breath is our anchor. Every breath is a chance to begin again.

Go slowly

How often do you feel overwhelmed? Is there a way to slow down?

I’ve known about creating space, slowing down, and simplifying for a while, but I only recently understood their deep impact.

We fear quiet self-reflection, so we keep the lights on and the dance floor full. We worry we’ll dislike our thoughts in quiet moments.

Slow isn’t dull; it’s contemplative and considered. It’s the yin in a yang world. It’s the strength of surrender, and surrender can be the most powerful victory.

Taking time for self-reflection is necessary for learning and growth, despite our busy lives.

As we close this year and open to the next, may we remember: "smile, breathe and go slowly."

 

The Pieces We Carry

I’d like to begin with a poem. This poem is from Rabbi Lawrence Kushner’s book “Honey from the Rock.”

“Jigsaw”

“Each lifetime is like a jigsaw puzzle, with different numbers of pieces and varying difficulties in assembly. Some are born with nearly completed puzzles, while others face challenges in assembling the myriad parts. But know this: no one possesses all the pieces to their own puzzle.

Just as before, when jigsaw puzzles were sealed in cellophane to ensure all pieces were present, everyone carries at least one and likely many pieces to someone else’s puzzle. Sometimes they realize this, while others remain unaware. When you present a piece, even if it’s worthless to you, to another, whether you know it or not, you become a messenger from the Most High.”

This poem uses the imagery of puzzle pieces to illustrate our capacity to connect, encourage, strengthen, and support one another. It symbolizes unity, teamwork, and hope.

It reminds me that just because you believe you can't reach a goal one way doesn't mean there's no alternative. Life is a continuous stream of choices, even when you feel limited in options.

The Choice I Didn't Know I Had

Years ago, I faced a daunting task: reading my work aloud to a group of writers for the first time.

The night before, fear lined up with all its companions—paranoia, nausea, panic. My inner critic had a field day: Who do you think you are? You're going to humiliate yourself. Everyone will see you're a fraud.

I stood at a choice point, though I didn't recognize it at first. I thought my only options were: go and suffer, or quit and prove the critic right.

Photo by Ana Tavares on Unsplash

But then something shifted. Instead of fretting or giving in to panic, I found a mindful middle ground. I could choose how I showed up, even if I couldn't control the outcome. I could choose to breathe. I could choose to read my truth, regardless of how it was received. I could choose to see this as an offering, not a performance.

That morning, I walked into the room. My hands shook as I read. My voice wavered. But I kept going.

And something remarkable happened: when I finished, someone in the circle said, "Thank you for sharing that. It gave me permission to try something I've been afraid of."

I had offered a puzzle piece without even knowing it.

What Choices Really Mean

We shape our reality with every moment through the choices we make. Even in difficult situations, we have more choices than we realize.

When faced with something we can't change, we can shift our focus. We can alter our perspective, our response, our beliefs, and our actions. There's always another way not necessarily an easier way, but a different way.

New ways await discovery. If one approach fails, we can explore. We can expand and discover new insights and possibilities.

Every day, we have limitless opportunities to live an empowered life. Our experience is a result of our decisions, not the cause of them. We can shape our circumstances and support those around us with love and attention.

Our mindset shapes our lives. Our energy flows where we focus our attention. We can look forward to the future with hope, regardless of circumstances.

Carrying Pieces into the New Year

As we close this year and open to the next, I'm thinking about the puzzle pieces we carry both our own and those meant for others.

What if we approached the new year knowing that we don't have all our own pieces, and that's exactly as it should be? What if we trusted that the pieces we need will come from unexpected places, from unlikely messengers?

And what if we stayed alert to the moments when we're offering a piece to someone else—a word of encouragement, a listening ear, a choice to show up despite fear—even when we can't see the full picture of how it matters?

We are all messengers, whether we know it or not.

In closing, Maya Angelou's words resonate: "No matter what happens, life goes on, and it will be better tomorrow."

May we choose hope. May we choose connection. May we carry each other's pieces with care.

 

Balance As Practice

Balance Isn't Something You Find, It's Something You Practice

Photo by Malek Larif on Unsplash

I had a lovely plan for my Saturday: yoga, grocery shopping, prepping for the week, and then some much-needed rest. But at 9 a.m., my mom called. She needed my help. My first thought was, "Oh no, my plans are ruined!"

Then I caught myself.

What if balance isn't about sticking to the plan? What if it's about being flexible enough to flow with what life brings?

So I set aside my plans. My mom needed more than help—she needed quality time. We talked, laughed, and shared our thoughts. My "ruined" Saturday turned out to be a day I'll never forget.

I'm learning that balance is not a fixed plan; it's responding to what life brings. But this realization didn't come easily.

When Balance Felt Impossible

For as long as I can remember, my mind has been a labyrinth of "what ifs." What if I make a mistake? What if I embarrass myself? What if I fail? I kept a mental tally of my mistakes—foolish words, absurd ideas, unsuccessful attempts to win people over.

My brain worked overtime, analyzing every possibility, replaying past mistakes, worrying about the future. I spent hours second-guessing conversations, worrying about things beyond my control, and creating problems that didn't exist. I insisted on having things done a certain way and struggled to accept alternatives.

I regretted that I couldn't just enjoy moments without needing thousands of others to see I was enjoying them.

It struck me during a late-night spiral. I'd spent hours replaying a conversation, obsessing over whether I'd said something wrong. My heart pounded, my stomach churned, and I couldn't sleep.

In that moment, I asked myself: Is any of this actually helping me?

The answer was obvious. My overthinking had never solved anything. It had never prevented bad things from happening. It had only drained my energy and made me miserable.

That night, I made a decision: I would stop letting my thoughts control me. I didn't know how yet, but I knew I couldn't keep living like this. Although I was uncertain about the path ahead, I was certain I could no longer endure this state of being.

"Life is the balance of holding on and letting go." – Rumi

Small Experiments in Stillness

The transformation began with small experiments. I discovered yoga, meditation, and spending time in nature.

The first step was developing a daily breathing practice. This became my anchor during a time when everything felt unstable. My yoga mat became a safe space to reconnect with my mind, body, and spirit.

I cherish my early mornings when I focus on my breath. I particularly enjoy abdominal breathing: one hand on my chest, one on my belly, inhaling for a count of 4, holding for 7, exhaling for 8. When I feel stressed or about to enter a stressful situation, I take a moment to breathe. This instantly calms me and allows me to think clearly.

"Feelings come and go like clouds in the sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor." – Thich Nhat Hanh

Breathing exercises have become integral to my daily routine. I combine them with morning and evening meditation, which through consistent practice has become a habit.

I ask myself questions like, "What is my body telling me today?" and "How do I feel?" I've come to understand that true happiness, like balance, is an internal process that doesn't require external validation. It's something I must relearn daily.

The Practice Continues

Even now, my mind still wanders. I still have days when I'm worried, anxious, and fearful. But I'm learning to simply observe these emotions without criticizing myself. I've come to understand that I have a body that feels and a brain that thinks—these are integral parts of me, but not my true self.

I don't need to carry around labels or mistakes from yesterday as if they define me. Whatever you've done, it's over. It doesn't have to brand you.

The difference now is I recognize when I'm slipping, and I choose to return to my practice.

Choosing Balance, Moment by Moment

Circling back to that Saturday morning: now I know disruptions aren't failures. They're part of practicing balance.

Balance isn't something you achieve once; it's something you choose, moment by moment.

"Balance is the perfect state of still water. Let that be our model." – Confucius