Things of Beauty #65

New Years day, your way (plus some lovely essays, the year in rewind, and a fun twist on Wordle)

Heading into 2025 like… honestly, I'm not sure.

I've written before about the New Year and how there are a bunch of different ways to approach it. The only thing I really think matters is that you approach this time of year in whatever way brings YOU the most peace and joy. Not the way it seems like everyone else is doing it. Not in the way it feels like you should do it. Just in the way that makes you feel the most authentically you today (which could include skipping all of the reflecting and resolving altogether).

Sharing a few things I'm savoring and thinking about today below and would love to hear about your things (new year related, or otherwise) in the comments below!

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Brand new year things that I've squirreled away in peace and joy:

🐿 This lovely photo essay from

Candace Rose Rardon

—a cozy, poignant read about the definition of home. May we all find home, as described here. (Bonus points: pair this essay with your favorite cup of tea.)

🐿 This energy for the new year from

Liza Palmer

:

I think the antidote to overwhelm is to try to stay in the moment as much as we can. Spending precious time with precious people not in overthinking and trying to make it perfect, but by having the courage to just get in close and make it count.

Yes! To the courage to be present and not overthink it all!

🐿 I gave in and did the LinkedIn Rewind thing, and you know what… it was a pretty great summary of my year (professionally).

🐿 Every time I submit something to any AI-powered anything (i.e., the above example), I am aware that I'm feeding a dataset. Being studied, as it were, by the large language models. So I had to smile when the latest essay from

Josh Brake

landed in my inbox just after I received my year in rewind, the title really made me smile: We're The Lab Rats Now. Lest you think it's a doom and gloom essay (it's not! go read it!), here's my favorite takeaway that I'm carrying into this next work year:

In 2025, let's pay attention. Yes, with curiosity and criticism about the new developments in AI. But more importantly, to the humans around us—our students and colleagues who make the work worth doing in the first place. It's their agency and humanity that we must respect as we seek to help them learn how to pursue truth, knowledge, wisdom, and a flourishing life.

🐿 Octordle. Eight Wordles all at once. This has been a staple of my slower-paced, coffee-sipping Twixtmas mornings and feels better for my brain than infinite Instagram scrolling. (Thanks to

Kelton Wright

over at

Shangrilogs

for putting this on my radar.)

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What are you taking with you into 2025? Or leaving behind? How about your favorite tea? Read anything delightful or played any good games? I'd love to hear all about any and all of it!

Be well, find tiny joy—

Mary Chris