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Your mission, should you choose to accept, is to make 2026 a year of living well (and vibrantly!) through simple helpfulness.
What your tiny actions can do to keep your spirit strong
Did you know that small, seemingly mundane rituals and structured activities boost our spirits? And, when we let go of small rituals, our mood can flag. Getting out of bed, having a cup of tea, sending a routine text to a friend. These small, daily, habits are important in bolstering our sense of self and purpose.
“Purpose” can feel a bit overwhelming. It’s such a broad and intangible pursuit. In Japan, they simplify this by replacing the language of, “Find your purpose,” to something more like, “Be useful to someone today.”
Why does this matter? Because when we have even a small mission of extending helpfulness or kindness, it helps life feel more full. Rich. Alive.
Expanding our lungs; expanding our mission
Keeping things simple and sustainable is really important when we are living this kind of mission rich life. If we add one thing to, “Be useful to someone today,” it might be, “Just notice!”
There are all kinds of names for the ritual of noticing. The Examine. Gratitude. Meditation. In short, it is a practice of being wonderstruck. Attentive to moments of awe. Taken up with gratitude. We become aware of a raindrop on a leaf, the warmth of a coffee mug on a chilly day, or the light of the sun on the building across the street. Tiny moments where, when we pause to pay attention, we notice that we feel alive.
Bring that same attention into your acts of human kindness? Well, it’s an experiment worth trying! Is there anything more enlivening than lending a hand?
Being useful comes in all shapes and sizes
The mission of simply being one who does Good when it’s called for isn’t meant to be overwhelming. Some of us are destined for notoriety and fame and next-level wealthy philanthropic gestures.
But most of us? We’re just simple folx living pretty tiny lives. Simply doing something helpful for someone is meant to be a replicable act! Hold a door. Acknowledge the name on a nametag at the grocery check out. Clear out the dishwasher.
Excess and unused clothing in the closet? Share with your local shelters. ‘Have a stack of old cell phones sitting in a drawer. Re-set them and donate them to a safehouse. Is there an old car just sitting in the back parking pad? Donate it for the charity you love.
When there is no money to spare, consider donating your skill or your time. Simply give what you can, where you can, when you can. If that’s talent or toys or tinkering — it all counts!
Imagine a world where every human made this their personal mission! We can do it. C’mon — let’s do it!
