My word for 2026

I have struggled with not feeling enough my whole life.

And I know you have too.

I hear it *all the time* from friends, massage and coaching clients, strangers who I’ve struck up convos with.

It’s *almost like* society, the patriarchy, huge companies selling products (read: promises of a better life) want you to feel like crap about yourself…

Because if you feel like crap about yourself, they have power over you and then we give them our money because they promise to “fix” this problem for us and then we’ll finally feel ok about ourselves.

They have power over you in that if you’re spending your precious time and energy doing things to try to feel enough, you aren’t exerting said precious time and energy on other things. Things that are important to you, like time with friends you haven’t seen in a while, starting that water color painting book, taking 20 minutes to stretch your tight muscles, try an delish looking recipe, or whatever else sounds fun.

They get your money because we believe the *next* serium, degree/certification, new piece of clothing , injection, or car upgrade will *finally* get us that enough feeling.

Please hear me. I am not dishing out any shame or judgment! 

This is how the game of life and consumerism is rigged, and it’s “in the water and air.” And I fell for it for decades and still do when I’m not paying attention to why I’m doing things. 

If you think you’re not enough as you are, if you do things to try to get that feeling, well then everything is going according to plan for those trying to stay in power and wanting to get richer.

You might think that sounds pretty dramatic or conspiracy theory-ish, but ask yourself who benefits when you feel like you’re not enough. Could be society at large or someone close to you. 

It could also be an old belif from years ago or a protective defense designed to keep you small and therefore “safe.”

Who stays in power, who has control, who gets your hard earned money?

Instead of resolutions, I like to pick a word for the following year to guide my thoughts, feelings, and actions.

I was outside with the dogs in early November when my 2026 word popped into my head.

The word was, enough.

It stopped me in my tracks and my eyes got all wide because I thought that was just perfect 😳

And right after the word popped in my head, I had an idea. An idea to do an experiment.

What would it be like, to practice thinking I was enough, and that I was doing enough…? 🤯

Holy shit…

That felt exciting, scary, like a fun adventure, and a little more scary mixed in.

This would be quite the shift because feeling “not enough,” is just how *so many* of us operate that we don’t even realize it’s always lurking just under the surface and subconsciously affecting a ton of our thoughts, feelings, and actions.

So because I believe we can make changes at any time, not just Mondays, tomorrow morning, or January, I’ve already started.

Here’s what my “feeling 1% more enough” is looking like at the moment:

Food has been a way I self-soothe since I was 10. I’ve both restricted my calories to 500/day, and been a binge eater, eating until I was so physically uncomfortable that I’d pray to fall asleep.

For a long time I forgot how to listen to my body and stomach’s cues for hunger and fullness. I’d eat quickly and wind up stepping away from my TV tray or dining table fuller than felt good.

So I’m practicing “enough” with food, by dishing up *a little less* than I would normally take, being present and slowing down my chewing, and allowing myself to really enjoy what I’m eating instead of mindlessly inhaling it.

I’m also practicing “enough” with work. Like asking myself, “What would I do differently if I believed I was doing enough?” If I was posting enough, seeing enough clients, doing enough emails and podcasts…

Granted, I’m still “doing” because I’m the only one running my business, but I’m not cracking the whip at myself, or in the energy of, “THIS IS AN EMERGENCY AND WE GOTTA DO SOMETHING!! WTF ARE WE GONNA DO?!”

When I took a few minutes to sit with this new and lighter question, my whole body relaxed, and I felt the pressure to push and force myself, just ease up and lift off my shoulders a little. And it was enough of a release to feel that I was on to something important.

Our ultra independent, hustle culture, and “do all the things yourself” way we live, is not sustainable, healthy, or necessary.

We’re really fucking familiar with doing, but barely have an idea of what it means to just be…

“Just being” freaks most people out and I get it, because it’s pretty foreign to our nervous systems and that equals potential danger. When I used to try to sit down and watch football with Sully on Sundays, I’d feel like I was going to come out of my skin.

There were too many things I could be doing or that needed to be done!

Granted, watching football back then kinda bored me senseless, so my twitchiness was two-fold but part of it was being uncomfortable just sitting and being.

I’m finding something interesting by asking myself things like, “If I am doing enough with work, what feels fun to do? What sounds fun to write or talk about? What do you want to do?”

I’m thinking, feeling, and acting differently. My energy is lighter, more curious and less judgemental. More creative and less anxious.

Eventually I’m going to expand my “enough experiment,” into other areas of my life, but this is where I’m starting cuz kitten steps, right?

The question I’m asking myself a lot is a version of, “How would I do this if I felt like I was enough or that I was doing enough?”

If this feels interesting, expansive, or like a fun experiment to try, go for it!

You got this, Sunshine and I’ve always got your back!

In 2026, and always for that matter, I wish you support, community, joy, fun, and remembering that you are not broken or alone.