Create the Great

Photo Credit: Polina on Pexels

This past week I had a great conversation with a friend where we talked about how we are feeling about 2026. Both of us had an energy of hope and positive change on the horizon. What was really cool for me was at one point, my friend said "Be the change" and I was inspired to respond with "Create the Great". We talked about how each of us is the architect of our lives. I often talk about the power each of us has to create our experience. That power lies in our ability to choose our beliefs, our thoughts and our actions.

We can sometimes fall for the illusion that others in power around us control our destiny. Then we become complacent and forget that even if government officials are elected, we still have the power to use our voice to speak truth to injustice and corruption, or where we see manipulation and rhetoric. We have the power to inform ourselves and decide what is true. In this age of information, there are many sources we can use to evaluate what is being said on both sides. We have the power to use critical information to challenge what we see by asking "does this position align with my current beliefs, or is it engineered to put me in a state of fear?" Oftentimes it is the latter because fear paralyzes and creates hesitation towards action. Just because someone makes a statement, that doesn't mean it's true, even when it comes from someone we trust. We all have an obligation to ourselves to form our opinions based on evidence, rather than based on what the" majority" says. After all, we often only hear from a few loud voices and that doesn't mean it holds true for everyone.

If we want to "Create the Great" we owe it to ourselves to speak from an authentic place, from beliefs formed from our own integrity and understanding versus adopting someone else's outrage, platform or ideals. We owe it to ourselves to ask "why does this person think their position is best and do they have a plan for it?" Anyone can state anything but our job is to ensure we keep them in check by asking for more information that backs up their position. And then ask where that information comes from to ensure it isn't something created for the illusion of supporting facts. This is why freedom of the press is vital. We need to challenge ourselves to create informed opinions.

Our personal sovereignty hinges on our willingness to really challenge our assumptions and biases. We need to be willing to uncover the root of our beliefs to know our true personal values. I'm more willing to listen to someone with a different perspective when they've done the work to form that perspective consciously and intentionally. Not everyone has to agree, but it's easier to have a free democracy when we can listen respectfully and be curious about others. For us to "Create the Great", whatever that means for each person, we must show up in our own power. That means doing the work by being willing to see different points of view, being curious, and challenging our own assumptions. We need to be willing to know ourselves, and be willing to see where fear has shaped us and built walls that prevent us from seeing the humanity in everyone. 

For me, "Create the Great" means building a community where everyone is welcome. It means recognizing and ignoring political rhetoric that is meant to distract and divide us. It means asking more questions and challenging others to explain how they formed their opinion, especially if they either want me to agree and adopt their perspective, or to accept their decisions without challenge. It means looking into the dark to shine light on injustice even if it's scary. For me, 2026 is the year of self-empowerment where each of us steps up, where we can, to begin the work required to claim our personal power and hold it strongly while we look for the light.