When we experience a tragic loss, living forward becomes one of the most difficult things we can do on a day-by-day basis. That's just the first step in Living Forward. The second step is to get out and engage LIFE & PEOPLE. I felt the need to stay inside, alone, and taken hostage by my grief, but because of my RESOLVE, I "got busy living." If you exercise the ciurage to to engage each day, the things you do, the people you meet, and the opportunities that are waiting for you, life will become more rewarding, and you will make a positive impact on all that you encounter. Our letter in RESOLVE is "E for Engagement."

By now, you know that my PowerWord is RESOLVE. It is defined as "one who has a definite, firm plan of action." The first letter, "R", is for Resilience. We are in a new year. Having a definite, firm plan of action is not about resolutions. It's about a clear process that leads to a definite end result. The tools, or personal best practices, for successful daily living are not about randomness. Yes, there are the unexpected situations both good and bad. Living forward is a choice, and living forward takes behaviors that lead to the best outcomes. Today, we build a plan of action that leads to your best outcomes. We'll start with the letter "R" for resilience. I Respond, not retreat.

Growth is the only evidence of life, therefore in order to experience positive growth in 2026, we must take charge of our lives and do what helps us grow in every aspect of our life on a day-by-day basis. It doesn't matter whether we use resolutions, powerwords, year-long themes, etc. It only matters that we are intentional in choosing to live forward each day.

Yes, 2026 has arrived. The more things "seem" to change the more they remain unchanged, but that doesn't have to mean that we stay the same. A New Year is a New Opportunity. Today we talk of things already shared. We also talk of things added to what we've already shared. Let's begin with a fresh and meaningful outlook for 2026.

I have learned that grief and sorrow are not exclusive to the death of a cherished loved one. Throughout our lives we are impacted by grief events that cover a multitude of painful, heartbreaking results. The issue we must confront is finding a way to LIVE FORWARD with the loss and avoid the tendency to simply give up and quit. Remember, I said Living Forward is a choice. I hope you'l join me as we look within ourselves and find a way to live forward with the loss.

The 5000 foot view of the lives around us reveals a surprising fact. There are 1000's of people who have experienced sorrow, pain, anguish, and more. They are just like us. It's not just about what happens to all of us. It's about what we do with what happends to us, and that process takes some very harsh and painful work. Even more important, we can't do it entirely on our own. We will need help. The first CHOICE must be to realize we need the help and seek that help. If we don't find a way to move forward with our sorrow, the sorrow will make the choice for us.

Random events are as varied as people. Random events are everything from a delightful surprise to a life-changing devastation. At it's most simple level, when a traumatic event plunges us into the depths of sorrow, we have only two choices. We either find a way to move forward with the sorrow, or that sorrow will make the choice for us. Lets share our stories of the amazing and the devastating. We all have more than a few of them.

I recently heard it said that if you don't choose to move forward with your grief and sorrow, that grief and sorrow will make the choice for you. That's my 5000 foot view. Everyone has or will experience deep, heartbreaking sorrow. Today we talk about choices and consequences. Living Forward is a CHOICE. Staying stuck in your sorrow will allow that pain to makee the choice for you. It's possible for you to take control and create a better outcome.