A Year of Sundays: 49th (12/7/25)

Small Shifts, Great Changes

Here we are—the 341st day of the year. Only twenty-four days remain in 2025. It is the perfect moment to pause and ask: What am I looking forward to? What am I ready to change? How do I want to feel this time next year?

This week, my reflections centered on one simple truth: I am finally taking care of myself—because I want to. I have started fitness programs before, countless times in fact, but this time something clicked. I walk a mile a day, sometimes more. Even when it rains, when it is dark, or when the cold whispers, “Stay inside.” Something in me says, “Go anyway.” At first, I thought it was about discipline or checking off a list. But now I understand—it is about love. The love of self, of being alive, of honoring the body and mind that carry me through this world. It is not about rules or recommendations; it is about genuine care for my well-being.

My trainer once said, “When you lock in, you will know the difference.” I thought I understood at the time—but now, living it, I truly do. The shift was not external. It was internal. Once I aligned my motivation with self-love instead of self-criticism, everything changed.

Wisdom on the Journey Within

Across cultures and generations, great thinkers have echoed this same truth: lasting transformation begins with you. Lao Tzu, in the Tao Te Ching, wrote: “Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.”(Tao Te Ching, trans. Mitchell, 1988, Verse 33) This verse beautifully captures the balance between strength and surrender. The most profound mastery comes not from control over others, but from self-understanding and self-regulation. Florence Scovel Shinn (1925/2013) reminds us in The Game of Life and How to Play It: “Faith knows it has already received and acts accordingly.” When we act as though we are already who we wish to become—healthy, peaceful, fulfilled—we bring that reality into form. The simple act of lacing up shoes for a daily walk becomes an affirmation of faith in ourselves. Eleanor Roosevelt (1960) also spoke of courage as the foundation of growth: “Do one thing every day that scares you.” For me, that sometimes means facing the quiet discomfort of persistence—the discipline to keep going when no one is watching, to choose wellness over convenience, to love myself through effort. Finally, Carl Jung (1959) offers this timeless reminder from The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious: “Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.” Each step I take—literal and metaphorical—has become a step inward, a moment of awakening.

Reflection for the Week - As the year draws to a close, ask yourself:

• What small shift could you make that honors you?

• What would it mean to “lock in” to your growth—not for approval, but for peace?

You do not need grand changes to transform your life. You only need to begin with love and intention.

Affirmation for the Week: “I choose to honor myself through mindful action. Every small shift is an act of love that shapes a greater life.”

References

Jung, C. G. (1959). The archetypes and the collective unconscious (2nd ed.). Princeton University Press.

Lao Tzu. (1988). Tao Te Ching (S. Mitchell, Trans.). Harper Perennial.

Roosevelt, E. (1960). You learn by living: Eleven keys for a more fulfilling life. Harper & Brothers.

Shinn, F. S. (2013). The game of life and how to play it. Martino Fine Books. (Original work published 1925)