A Show-Me State

Well... We made it to 2026. And I'm hoping that your year is off to a good, and hopefully, gentle start for you. I honestly expected myself to cry when the clock struck 12 o'clock, but instead, I felt quite a bit of gentleness and relief after what happened in 2025. Maybe it's because after what I experienced, I felt a sense of... Certainty? Yeah, certainty. I was certain that this year is going to be quite different than what I've experienced before. And the thing about 2026 is... It's high time for it to be different for me. It's high time for some new patterns, new beliefs, new behaviors, and new ideas. It's high time to let go of old patterns, old beliefs, old behaviors, and old ideas. It's just high time for 2026 to be different for all of us. If you follow Chinese astrology, you will recall that 2025 was the Year of the Snake, and apparently, it lived up to its reputation. The whole lunar year of 2025 called us to let go of past beliefs and behaviors, and many of us were shaken to the core by many events and happenings that challenged our beliefs and behaviors. In a way, we were just like snakes: We had to SHED a lot of things we've held onto for many years in order to force us to see that it's time to make some changes for the new year. Things happened in droves that shook us to the core... But also forced us to see that some of the beliefs, behaviors, ideas, and emotional baggage are no longer worth holding onto. It was high time for us to evolve, transform, and build ourselves into the people we were meant to become. And that meant having some of our core beliefs and rules for living questioned, seeing if they truly can carry us through the rest of our lives or if it's time for a different approach. I'm pretty sure all of you had some earth-shattering events happen in your lives that forced you to readjust and shed some former beliefs, jobs, or even people from your very existence. An unexpected illness. Being laid off from your job without notice. Divorce. Loss of funding for your organization or project. A reduction in finances. A traumatic experience that rattled your bones and mind. Or it may have been something entirely different. Whatever it was, these moments didn't quite happen by accident. Like it or not, they were meant to teach us to let go... To shed the skin we've had on for much of our lives. And it wasn't pretty... Nor was it without pain. Sometimes the most eye-opening experiences can be the ones that challenge everything we've ever known or believed about the world... and ourselves. This year's animal might be bit more likable for the Chinese lunar year. 2026 is the year of the Horse. Last year's year of the Snake was all about shedding what no longer fit us, actually slowing down and taking a breath instead of constantly going on autopilot in the areas of our lives that called for it.

It was all about changes that happened in our lives, and not having to rush it, but to slow down and understand why these changes had to happen. Growth happened behind the scenes, not out in public. The year of Horse, on the other hand, is destined to bring us movement and momentum. The events and things that opened our eyes to the truth and reality is now in motion for us to act on all of the changes and growth that happened from last year. Letting go wasn't an ending, but rather, it was preparing us for what's to come. We now trust our instincts and go into new spaces and adventures that are new and uncomfortable, but oh, so exciting! We are more courageous than ever before. Clarity is leading us into action, and our confidence is leading us into movement. All of those changes and events behind the scenes are leading us into a new chapter in our lives, one where we are brave, certain, and even determined to move forward. And in many ways, do things differently than we've ever done. We're reminded that it's okay to breathe, be kind to ourselves and to each other, We don't need to do the same things over and over again like robots, We're human beings, after all, so we have to remember to take the time to slow down and breathe. Action is almost the name of the game and it is time to move forward. IMPORTANT NOTE: The year of the Horse doesn't officially start until 17 February, so there's still a bit of shedding we have to do until we reach the Lunar New Year. Don't be discouraged by the lack of movement and needing to slow down this next month and a half. The last thing we want to do is repeat everything we've worked hard to let go and fall back into old habits. Be patient! The year of the Horse is coming, and with it, some much-needed good fortune and positive change for all of us. So... Now that we know that this year is bound to be better (hopefully!) by some Chinese astrology, here's my question for you? What ARE you going to do differently about this year? How are you planning to move forward with courage and trusting your instincts? What are some things from last year that brought you clarity and are planning to enact upon this year? Maybe if it's better if you don't tell me. Rather, let the work you're doing speak for itself. Let's jump in and discuss this.

You may have come across these past few years that's along the lines of saying this: "Don't say that 2026 will be your year! Let's just proceed very quietly..." If you can recall, every year since 2020 has been nothing short of earth-shattering with a ton of global events, catastrophes, and disasters that can make your head spin. A global pandemic, an attack on the Capitol, the murder of an innocent black man, a tumultuous election, a war in the Israel, attacks on the Jewish and Palestinian communities, several prominent laws and orders being rolled back, the loss of jobs by the thousands, protests, earthquakes, snowstorms, wildfires, floods, and fear running rampant all throughout the world... I can see why many people are a bit hesitant to say that this year will be their year. With everything that's going on in the world and around us, it's hard not to be impacted by it all, even in the smallest fraction of ways. Because of what we have to lose by these direct or indirect impacts on our lives. Many of us don't want to lose too much this year because it seems like we've lost our footing and even chunks of our sanity with everything that happened in 2025. We just want things to actually make sense again, we want to hold onto something and not let it go, we want the universe to be kind to us, we want things to be easy, we want life to be gentle to us, we actually deserve a good year for ALL of us for once. So, it's only natural for some people to shush us when saying things like "2026 is gonna be MY year!" Because who knows how much our lives will be upended by global events again. And Lord knows we've had enough of them to last two lifetimes. I came across an interesting post several days ago that may play into the quiet aspect of this year: This person was suggesting to their followers and those who came by their post to not share their vision boards or goals or intentions for this year for the rest of the world. Rather, it was a call for people to keep their vision boards, dreams, and goals private. Not to boast or brag about it when the time came, but maybe not sharing everything so early in the year out of both fear and inspiration. Fear of many of the things on your vision board or your intentions not coming to fruition as you'd hope it would be the end of the year. But also inspiration: Maybe it's not worth sharing all of your hopes, dreams, goals, intentions, and wishes for a new year. Especially not with the rest of the world. Maybe it's only best to keep them private and only have you acknowledge, work, and consistently make the effort to bring those hopes, dreams, goals, and intentions to life... Away from the eyes of others. Maybe a big problem we have by the time New Year's Eve comes around is comparing our lives to others, and how much our accomplishments may not have stacked up with others. Even the fact of simply surviving this year may not be the biggest accomplishment compared to others who may have started a business, or gotten married, or had their first baby, or became a homeowner for the very first time, or moved to a new city, or had a year filled with traveling, or got the dream role. We tend to not give ourselves grace or even want to show an accurate description of the year at the end of the year because of the fear of being seen as a failure or not having any worth compared to others who did so much more than we did. Those small wins may even be considered insignificant compared to other's wins. Comparison is a killer to one's soul, and it's one that we may never truly conquer if we keep on falling into old habits and beliefs about who we are and who we are capable of becoming. That post made me pause... Because there was a ton of truth in what they said. Maybe I shouldn't have to share all of the details... or in the case of a trauma survivor, overshare, especially when I shouldn't have to share all of those details all the time. Maybe a lot of my progress shouldn't be measured by posts or pictures that can be shared for the public. There are just some things in life that I can keep hidden from others for the time being, and doesn't need to be shared out in the open with others. Things like my health, my finances, my goals, my intentions, my word of the year, anything along those lines. Sometimes, we have to keep some things hidden away from others and simply know, believe, and trust that what we're working on is enough and that we can get closer to what can achieve. The world doesn't always need to know the details of our lives and careers and personal backstories. Just like the world doesn't need to know about our vision boards, new year intentions, new year resolutions, goals, dreams, and hopes for a new year. Sometimes, the biggest goals, intentions, and dreams that we're working on may have a little bit of a jinx factor involved. And if we even breathe one word to someone else about what we're working on and sharing it on social media or even within our circles, we may have just sabotaged our chances of getting what we're working towards, or even all of that work will fall to the wayside by one unexpected disaster or calamity that will set us back for a while. Maybe it's superstition talking... Or maybe it's just that this year is when we're finally doing things differently, including with how much we choose to share or don't share with others. It's perfectly reasonable to not share all of the details of your life for all of the world to see. Maybe there was a part of you that did so much oversharing and over explaining for so long, and to the wrong people who may have used that information to their advantage, that you're sick and tired of having to share the details over and over and over again. And keep expecting a different result than the one you've gotten from others. At a certain point in our lives, it takes one major event to force us to question how we're doing things, including with how much we share with others. And even in the events of posting about an upcoming job interview, audition, callback, work trip, conference, debate, date, and anything that's deemed important to you, you start to realize that maybe sharing those details right before it happens may not always be the best solution for you. Some people may use those details against you to harm you and make you the villain of the story. But there are other times when maybe just not posting until after the fact can help you stay committed to the task at hand, and do the work away from the prying eyes of social media. Once the work is done and you can say with certainty that is was everything you've hoped it would be or that you accomplished your goal, maybe then you can share with others what you've been working on in private. But once again, not sharing too much. Things like a weight loss journey, dating, pregnancy announcements, party plans for a big anniversary or birthday celebration, a major job interview, an upcoming conference or seminar, travel plans, or anything that you deem important is not worth to be shared with the public in the very beginning... Because you just want to focus on the task at hand and be sure that you are at a place where you can share the news with others, more often than not, after it is all said and done. I've seen plenty of posts where people announce the birth of their children after the baby has been born so as not to have prying eyes enter into their private lives... Or maybe there's a twinge of fear that something may go wrong and that announcement may have a jinx factor involved. And in some cases, book announcements, upcoming albums and films, or even a new exhibit isn't announced right away because many of the artists and people behind the scenes want to focus on the work and not share all of the details with people 24/7... Because there are just some people out there who have nothing better to do than to constantly pry... And in many cases, they have nothing better to do but say negative things and spread doubt in the minds of the people doing the work. You may not be able to stop the naysayers, but you can keep them to a minimum with how much you choose to share, especially when all you're trying to do is do the work and keep focused on achieving the best result that means a lot to you. Or accomplishing that goal. Whatever it is, it's okay to limit how much you share... Or even not share anything at all until you know for certain it's okay to share. And be careful with how much you share with others. You will never know who will have your back, or decide to be a backstabber. (This new year is filled with a lot of hope, optimism, and even a bit of wariness after the events of 2025. The same is true for my blog posts for this year: I'm looking forward to sharing my observations and reflections on this journey as an actor and a human being, but I need to remind you that these are just my observations and reflections. You are welcome to disagree with me on anything I've written. But one thing that won't change is how we treat each other: I will not tolerate any offensive language, hate speech, or deragatory speech from anyone that goes towards me or anyone else. We have to learn to live with each other and appreciate our differences. If you cannot do a simple thing like that, I will block you.)

This year is a big year for me... It's my tenth year as a professional actor, and my fifth year as a professional writer. So as you can imagine, I have big plans for 2026, with a ton of goals to accomplish this year. But rather than list them out for you, I'm actually going to keep my mouth shut this time. It's not that I don't want to share what I hope to accomplish in 2026, but I just want to be able to focus on what I need to do to reach my goals and dreams for this year. And that means not sharing a lot of details or even oversharing like I normally would. There's also a part of me that is a little bit superstitious about sharing something that's coming up and then it doesn't turn out like I thought it would, like auditions or callbacks or submissions and more. I would personally feel a lot better sharing with you all what I've done and accomplished after it is completed... And that may mean only sharing bits and pieces of my journey, or even not sharing anything at all. Not everything needs to be shared with the masses, or even sharing too much. It took me a long time to finally get to that point, and I'm doing everything I can to follow that sage advice I never really let sink in until now. There's also another personal reason for not sharing all of the hopes and dreams and plans for this year: I'm working on manifesting the good things that I deserve, and manifesting that all will be well. Manifestation is the first step in transforming your year, and being positive about a good outcome. After many years in a traumatic household, this is something that yours truly is finally catching up to, and making every effort to say "I will..." instead of "I hope..." Sometimes the biggest changes and transformations in your life aren't always loud and online, but soft-spoken and away from the many eyes. The same goes with sharing our lives, our hopes, our dreams, and our goals. We know that we have to do the work, so why should others know all of the details step by step? I'm choosing focus over getting attention. I'm choosing manifesting over wishful thinking. I'm choosing gentleness over roughness. I'm choosing hope over fear. I'm choosing self-love over seeking out love. I'm choosing positivity over hopelessness. I'm choosing sharing the small glimpses over oversharing everything. I want the work and my actions to speak for itself, mistakes, setbacks, frustrations, tears, hope, belief, intelligence, and compassion included. But no matter how much I share, I will still be genuine, even borderline raw with you. And there will be an equal balance of joy mixed in with sorrow. And I will breathe easier knowing that whatever success I post is because of the work and effort it took behind the scenes to get to this place. And trusting that I am truly enough and that I truly deserve nothing but good, wonderful things. All right, 2026... Let's do this.