Are you feeling stuck or down about a problem or situation? Do you have feelings of despair or gloom? What’s it going to take to carry you forward into the new year without those feelings? As we come to the end of a chaotic and exhausting year, many of us are feeling the weight of what 2025 brought with it - surprises, stress, disruptions, disappointments, disillusionment, loss, uncertainty and breaking points. Hopefully your year has also been balanced by periods of joy and beautiful moments. But as the calendar inches toward 2026, we’re offered something incredibly powerful: the opportunity to reset. Now is the time to pause and reflect - not just on what you’ve been through, but what you’d like for yourself on the other side of it all.
So, what does it take to overcome a problem or troubling situation? Will money or luck solve your problems? How about your intelligence? Do you simply need to work harder? There is a simple but illuminating exercise that can serve to remind us, metaphorically, what matters most as we navigate through life and work our way through troubling times. It begins by assigning each letter of the alphabet a number:
When you add up the values assigned to letters of the alphabet (e.g. A=1, B=2, C=3, etc) and consider the various solutions, something interesting happens. We can see that:
- L+U+C+K
12+21+3+11 = 47%
- M+O+N+E+Y
13+15+14+5+25 = 72%
- K+N+O+W+L+E+D+G+E
11+14+15+23+12+5+4+8+5 = 97%
- H+A+R+D W+O+R+K
9+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 99%
- A+T+T+I+T+U+D+E
1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100%
It’s a fun exercise that serves as a powerful metaphor and reminder. Hard work matters deeply. Knowledge shapes decisions and can open doors, and - occasionally - luck will sweep in for extra measure. Money never hurts and can create opportunities. But as we can see from that playful bit of math, none of those - none - reach 100%. Only attitude does.
Attitude is the lens through which we interpret our experiences. It determines how we respond to obstacles, how we treat others, how we recover from disappointment, and how we carry hope forward during dark periods or circumstances.
We can’t always control the chaos around us. We can’t predict every setback or force others to behave in the way we deem acceptable or appropriate. But we can decide how we show up in the world.
When problems arise, attitude is within our control and can serve as our greatest asset. It's not about pretending everything is perfect, it’s about choosing how we respond to situations and how we engage with life's imperfections.
- A positive attitude helps us respond, not react.
- A resilient attitude helps us adapt when plans crumble.
- A curious attitude helps us learn rather than shut down.
- A compassionate attitude helps maintain relationships through strain.
- A hopeful attitude keeps us moving through darkness toward better things.
Attitude doesn’t magically fix everything, but it changes how we move through everything - and that often makes all the difference. As the new year approaches, what attitude will you choose?
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