I have a new game-playing ritual. Emphasis, believe it or not, on the ritual.

This isn’t the retreat that we Canadians wanted, but it was the retreat that we got.

What good is gratitude anyways? It’s more than writing lists, feeling good emotions, or being toxically positive. Gratitude is a skill of seeing the good; when we practice it, it regulates our nervous system and helps us be more loving and caring people.

After we’ve been hurt, it’s easy to shut it all down with walls and locks. But vulnerability, approached wisely and cautiously, is still worth it.

“There’s not a saviour that’s going to come around and upend the tables of corruption, not a person, but perhaps a collective could.”—Kevin Garcia

We might not be able to single-handedly make 2025 a good year for the world. But we can do our best to take care of ourselves.