Take That Step Forward. Randomness. Celebrate All Three. Answers Please. One Hit Wonder.
Quote of the Week: “Never underestimate the power you have to take your life in a new direction.” – Germany Kent
As we near year-end 2025, this quote from syndicated journalist Germany Kent may align with one of your New Year’s resolutions…but I hope not. What I do hope is that all of us, at some level, have the power to make changes, take a new direction, and as the business world likes to say, pivot, without the changes being part of a 2026 resolution.
Many of my friends and associates, as well as my daughter and son-in-law, have done just that. They have put their foot in the ground and made the decision to change their lives, whether it relates to relocation, family, career, a companion, or just a mindset. Of course, altering your path is sometimes easier said than done. Here is a list of a few thought-starters with trying to go in a new direction:
- Self-assessment and self-reflection: Understand your current situation, values, strengths.
- Define Your New Goals: You can be aggressive with your new goals, but at some level those goals need to be realistic and reasonably attainable. For example, one of my forever goals was to be able to dunk a basketball. Not happening.
- Free Yourself Up: let go of the past hurdles and issues to create a new outlook and path to reach your defined goals.
- Step Forward: Get out of your comfort zone, set targets and milestones, and start by making small changes first.
- Get Help: from your family, from your peers, and from your friends. Those people will help you, level-set you, and give you their honest take on how to alter your path.
Think about the days when the Berlin Wall finally came down. Think of the thousands, if not millions of people who were forced, good or bad, to make changes. Changing it up is doable, and there is nothing wrong with tying your initiative with the New Year but do not make these planned changes a New Year’s resolution.
The song Wind of Change by the Scorpions never said it better.
Things I Think on December 14, 2025
- In one of many mind-boggling decisions by FIFA, the world’s governing body of soccer thought they would help Seattle and their LGBTQ + Pride celebration by with a “Pride Match” as part of the World Cup matches to be played in Seattle. All good stuff until you see that FIFA has decided that the “Pride Match” will be played between Egypt and Iran…two countries who impose severe penalties on LGBTQ+ people. Really, FIFA?
- Good…and bad. The Federal Reserve cut interest rates by another quarter point last week. Good for interest rates on loans and mortgages and the Dow Jones. Bad for inflation and unemployment woes.
- It is not okay. Taking mushrooms and not sleeping for forty-eight hours does not exonerate you from trying to shut off the engines of an inflight airliner. As a side note, I do like mushrooms with my New York Strip.
- I am not trying to add salt to the wound but any of you in the Northeast or Midwest….if you are planning a Florida trip…come between right now and April. Just saying.
- Investment bankers or private equity operators help me understand why Oracle’s stock dropped 11% last Thursday morning due to 14% year-over-year revenue growth in the quarter that ended Nov. 30, missing the projected 15% YOY growth. Why did the one percent miss in one quarter impact the stock so dramatically? Anyone care to chime in?
- The eight days of Hanukkah begins this evening and ends December 22; Christmas, of course, is December 25; Kwanzaa runs from December 26, 2025, to January 1, 2026. A compressed and busy holiday season with significant celebrations happening close together. I am accepting gifts for all three.
Adam Sandler’s Hanukkah song, after thirty years, is still awesome:
Thank you for answers to the last Question of the Week regarding your favorite holiday memory:
- Being surrounded by family during the holidays:). Decorating the tree was most memorable.
- My grandfather would dress up as Santa and visit us on Christmas eve. For some unexplained reason, he always had a German accent.
- Decorating our XMAS tree with my family. Always a fun time!
- Making eggnog and spicing it up a bit different every year.
- Taking my kids to the local mall for a visit with Santa!
- Shopping for gifts at stores and malls. I actually liked to go to the mall on XMAS eve day to see the craziness.
Here is this week’s Question of the Week: this question relates to the take above about making changes: What one thing would you change in 2026, with money and location not a factor?
- Pure Talent. The band is Real Life, and the song is Send Me An Angel. As we are now in the holiday season, I felt like this song about faith and hope was appropriate. The song defined the New Wave genre in the early 80s…sort of a prayer wrapped in synthesized rhythm. The band Real Life, and the song Send Me An Angel, even if it was a one-hit wonder, was Pure Talent.