If I had been inclined to assess my performance on last year’s resolution to Allow What Is, then I would have noted both setbacks and improvements. Not judging myself was part of that resolution, however, so this post won’t get into what I did or how it might have gone better. I’ll just say that I arrived in December feeling calmer than last winter, and leave it at that.
The word “Permission” came to mind several weeks ago as an intention for 2026. Going beyond avoiding self-judgment, it’s about simply giving myself permission to be. Whatever plans and schedules I may have, they’re not going to collapse into an unmanageable mess if I am not ruminating about them.
What often happens, as when I found a replacement for my art display, is that when I can quiet my mind and set aside the to-dos, there’s enough space for new solutions to appear. I’ve found and uploaded a few Creative Commons images for the display, and I plan to use this one tomorrow as a reminder that life should be like a tree, growing naturally without need for wasted effort:
(Photo credit: Christopher John)
Although I changed the image on my previous art display every morning, it never felt like a daily chore. Rather, I welcomed the opportunity to give myself another view from the imaginary window each day, and I plan to do so again with the new display. I expect there must be something in all my daily routines that can inspire gratitude as well—or if not, there are ways to improve them.
