I feel like each new year, I set a theme, or perhaps some goals and resolutions, but by February, it’s back to the mantra – new year, same me. Or as Taylor Swift might say, “It’s me. Hi. I’m the problem, it’s me.” The lone common thread in all of these past failed attempts is yours truly.

But I’ve been thinking about a question I saw recently whilst scrolling social media: “What do you want to let go of in the new year” and this struck me as a much more productive way to think about closing out 2025 and welcoming 2026. I suppose for some folks this might be a bit of a mind-bender. But the resounding response to the question, direct from my subconscious was stress.

Stress and worry. The antithesis of silver and gold. Or leather and lace for that matter. But the point is the same. These evil twins have haunted me for the better part of my life to the point where I’m not entirely sure what a stress-free, worry-free existence would look like.

The problem stems from triggers. There are so many of them. Whether its stress or worry, they can all at various times utterly debilitate me.

So, there seems some wisdom in thinking about the opposite of those triggers. This led me to try and recall the most peaceful day I can remember.

And I remember it well.

I was a sophomore at Dartmouth. We were pressing toward the end of Spring term and finals had just wrapped up. Class had not yet begun, and Sophomore Summer was on deck (this is where the rest of the campus goes away except for the sophomore class who take a couple of classes and generally enjoy the New England summer from the comfort of alma mater). So, after a jaunt to church in Woodstock, VT, I made my way back to campus and stopped off near the Quechee, VT dam. I meandered away from the little shops along the town’s main drag and found a perfectly-manicured, expansive, green lawn near the river.

And I did something I seldom do. I laid down. Right in the middle of the park. The sun warmed my face. A late spring breeze rustled my hair and I remember thinking to myself, in that moment, all was right with the world. And it was. I was a young man. No money. No debt. No expectations. Just a full belly after church and the promise of an entire summer ahead.

I’ve often thought about this day as being one of the ‘good ole days.’ A better time than the present. In most respects that day fit the bill. But I didn’t recognize it like this at the time.

The four, halcyon years of college were some of the best I had. And yet, even in the midst of them all, I had yearnings for a future time. For better things and better times.

The lesson I take from this and the social media question posed is simply that the good ole days are really now. Not some distant future point that may or may not come. Not some future when all of the hard work pays off, and the debt is gone and life is where we think we want it to be. It’s really, just, today.

I think the rub is to recognize each day for what it is. To free the mind from worry. And memento mori. No future interests are guaranteed.

So, I’m not sure how, but my goal among others is to let go of those evil twins, stress and worry. They haven’t been terribly helpful anyway.