Six Words to Start the Year

Show up. Be kind. Choose joy.

A new year doesn’t need grand resolutions or dramatic reinvention. Sometimes it just needs a few steady reminders we can carry with us into our days, our work, and our community.

Show up. Together. Progress rarely happens alone. Whether it’s in our workplaces, our neighborhoods, or our families, meaningful change comes when we listen, collaborate, and stay engaged … even when it’s easier to step back. This year, let’s keep choosing connection over isolation and partnership over silos.

Be kind. Always. Kindness isn’t weakness; it’s leadership. It’s patience during hard conversations, grace when mistakes happen, and compassion for ourselves when we fall short. If we lead with empathy, we create spaces where people feel seen, valued, and willing to contribute their best.

Choose joy. Intentionally. Joy doesn’t always arrive on its own … we often have to look for it, make room for it, and protect it. That might mean celebrating small wins, doing work that feels meaningful, or simply pausing long enough to notice what’s going right.

As we step into this year, perhaps these six words can be a quiet guide. Not a checklist. Not a mandate. Just an invitation – to participate, to care, and to move forward with purpose.

Here’s to a year of showing up, lifting one another, and finding joy along the way.

Guy Occhiogrosso

Posted: January 20, 2026