I swear to myself and you that it’s not performative, this hill I’ve constructed; built and fortified by three decades of growing up and living on terms seemingly polar in their opposite. It’s a hill I will and sometimes have died on. It’s the reason for all my success and likely all my failures but I continue to dig my feet in. Cocksure. Confident. Despite evidence to the contrary, actually because of this evidence.

THIS. IS. MY. WAY.

It’s 2026 and I still believe in the power of YES!

//

I started and ended no less than 6 different posts about the last year. They all felt overly bitchy or convoluted. Countdowns of regular things, countdowns of incredible things I was lucky to be a part of. The beauty and accomplishment of my family and friends and company. I can see them from your point of view, this life, is charmed and I am grateful, but the recapping of this felt wrong, fraudulent. One side to a complicated story.

Like most years, 2025 moved through in a blur. A blur of changes and successe. I make a concerted effort and go back through my photos for confirmation of this and confirmation is given of the success. Few of us record the failures.

I slide into 2026 overwrought. The calm I usually approach this time of year interrupted by health issues and a further deepening of the constant questions I always ask.

And so, I put on my shoes, pull the laces taught and climb back up my hill. I align my gaze away, towards something, anything, and I breathe deep.

“Yes.” I sigh aloud to nothing and no one in particular. “Yes.”

//

On December 16th, in a brief window I carved out between the last event of the year and my impending surgery to remove prostate cancer, I had the opportunity to be on my friend Steve Mellor’s Growth Ready podcast. I was beyond honored that he chose me to be his 300th episode. On it, Steve interviews high achievers, athletes, business owners, and the like.

If I’m being honest, despite “preparations”, I had a lot on my mind and entered the conversation distracted, my mind all over the place.

Of late he leads these interviews and conversations with a simple question. “What does it mean to you to be growth ready?”

Since I knew it was coming I had plenty of time to formulate something. Something profound! Something life changing!

What I landed on was my hill. My line in the sand. To some, my continued mistake; the hallmark of my answer to both Steve’s question as well as a David Byrne mindworm I repeat often.

“And you may ask yourself

Well...How did I get here?”

A breath of reassurance and the notion slid forth.

By saying YES!

//

You can watch or listen to the whole thing here.

//

It seems like the last decade has been filled with a litany of NO! Of creating boundaries. Of protecting our peace and our space. This is all good and well, but nothing big ever came out of it.

NO is a contraction of space and opportunity.

NO sends the conversations south.

NO yields less.

NO sets a negative tone to what follows.

YES does the opposite. It opens. It creates positivity.

I will die on this hill.

I shall not waver.

This doesn’t mean that you don’t due diligence and dot “i’s” and cross “t’s”.

It does mean you throw yourself headlong from time to time.

It means you take chances.

It means you spend some time planning and then you attack.

Sometimes it means you agree to invite in and embrace the chaos.

That chaos. That figuring it out as you go. That’s the stuff of end of the year lists.

If you look at my life and say “he’s got a charmed life” know that a lot of that charm came from saying YES! and convincing others of the path.

//

This morning I sit like I do just about every year at this time. In the quiet; dog and lit Christmas tree. Rich black coffee and considerations of the year just past.

Tumult? Sure.

Just like every year.

Loses? Sure.

Just like every year.

These things will happen no matter.

Wins? They outnumber the above ten fold.

This year I’ll be challenging myself to go back to what got me here.

YES!

Holler if you want to come with me.

#hugsandhi5s