And it’s a wrap! This is the last weekend of the year. 2025 is on its way out, and 2026 is waiting for us in the wings, all new and shiny, with potential and hope and a sense of expectation. This weekend is a time for a quiet pause before the calendar turns, before resolutions rush in and expectations follow. It’s time to look back, acknowledge how far we’ve come, and let the rest be. Close the year softly; some endings don’t need fireworks, just a deep breath and a little gratitude.

Today’s quote is by South African Anglican archbishop, theologian, and human rights activist Desmond Tutu. A leading voice against apartheid, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his nonviolent struggle for justice and reconciliation. Tutu was widely respected for his moral clarity, warmth, and unwavering belief in shared humanity. 

This quote captures the quiet power of everyday choices. Ubuntu is an African philosophy often summed up as I am because we are. It reminds us that our humanity is deeply interconnected, shaped not in isolation but through our relationships with others. Tutu’s message is practical, not idealistic. He isn’t talking about grand gestures or world-changing heroics. He’s pointing to the small, ordinary moments where goodness can be practised: how we speak to people, how we listen, and how we show patience, fairness, and compassion. Peace, in this view, doesn’t begin in institutions or treaties. It begins in daily interactions, in choosing dignity over ego and kindness over indifference.

Ubuntu reframes responsibility. Instead of asking, What can the world do for me?, it asks, How am I showing up for the world right now? Each moment becomes an opportunity to either strengthen or weaken the social fabric. Even in difficult circumstances, conflict, disagreement, exhaustion, and striving for goodness, create ripples that extend far beyond the individual. The quote also carries hope without naivety. It accepts that the world is imperfect but insists that peace is still possible through conscious effort. You don’t need ideal conditions to live in Ubuntu. You practice it wherever you are, exactly as you are.

We’ve been a sick family this week, with just S escaping a bout of cold and cough, but we’re getting better now, and I want to enter the new year in good health. I will also be taking time this weekend to think about my journey in 2025 and what I hope to achieve in 2026. What about you? Will you spend time in reflection before the clock turns to another year? 

Today’s motivation is about acknowledging our journeys. It’s time to acknowledge our incredible journey. We’ve achieved so much more than we give ourselves credit for. Too often, we become so preoccupied with what we don’t yet have that we forget to appreciate how far we’ve already come. We’ve stayed true to ourselves, no matter what. We stood firm in our convictions, refusing to be swayed by others’ opinions. Today, remind yourself that you’ve overcome situations that once felt impossible. Celebrate the moments of growth you’ve experienced.

As the clock ticks down to the new year, celebrate yourselves and look forward to the new year!