Five Gems for 2025

We’re sharing our favorites for those who may not have the time or inclination to listen for 35 minutes to a show that aired on New Year’s Eve morning. Credit to Philip Galanes, Jancee Dunn, Daniel Jones and Melissa Kirsch of the New York Times for their soothing conversation and these wonderful ideas:

• Instead of making punishing, joyless resolutions, consider joyful resolutions! For example, instead of resolving to eat zero cookies per week, seek out the best cookie you can possibly find at the best bakery and eat two of those in a week. Lace your resolutions with joy and they might not feel like drudgery – which might actually help you meet your goals. 

• Make 2025 the year of listening. Less talking, more listening. Laysha Ward shares more on this idea in a 2024 lesson. We can all, always, benefit from working to become better listeners. 

• Relatedly, listening is at the heart of giving good advice. Try listening so that you become “almost the same person” as the one asking for input … think of their issue as your shared issue. The best advice, given only when asked for, helps people hear the “truth” that is already deep within them.

• Feeling lonely? Reach out to a mentor from your past. Somebody who maybe doesn’t even know how much they helped or influenced you. Maybe it’s a boss, a teacher, a coach or a neighbor. The connection you make might surprise and fulfill you in unexpected ways. 

• Take 15 minutes every day to collect moments of moral beauty, a concept created by renowned psychology professor and author Dacher Keltner. Moral beauty refers to the moments of awe, kindness, courage, wisdom, and humility that characterize our very best human moments. If you’re losing faith in the world, discouraged by politics or just generally feeling blah, try paying attention to the moments of kindness all around you. A smile in the checkout lane, a wave to merge on the freeway, a friendly hello from a stranger…notice the things that remind you of the inherent goodness in people. Make it second nature to see and appreciate these moments. 

We’d love to hear your wisdom for 2025. What ideas are you putting into action to bring more kindness, calm, or joy into your life this year?