01/01/2026
You can definitely tell who went to bed early, lol. The bloody fireworks woke me at midnight—it seriously sounded like a warzone. It was so loud that people actually ran out of their houses to see if folks were being shot (which, let’s be honest, is a bit too common around here).
Despite the noisy start, I see a year ahead full of humungous blessings for all of us. I also know of a few surprises coming up that’ll make you very happy.
Something that has made my life much easier over the past year is practicing an attitude of gratitude every morning. It takes about three weeks to truly kick in and become a habit, but once it does, life just gets easier. When I’m out marshalling at 04:30, folks look at me like I’m mal when I shiveringly say, "What a lekkerrrr brisk wind accompanied by some freezing rain! It’s gonna be a lekkerrr day."
I end up having an incredible day regardless of the circumstances. Sadly, those who start the morning moaning are usually misluk the whole day. They don’t realize they are responsible for their own mood; they could have had a good day if they’d just started with a little gratitude.
Another thing that has helped me is practicing immediate acceptance. The world throws s**t at us every day, and we usually fight tooth and nail to change things we have zero influence over. When you realize how powerless you are to change certain situations and simply accept your reality, your mind naturally moves on to the next thing you can handle. You effectively bypass the cycle of grief, disbelief, anger, and depression.
By overcoming the illusion of control, you stop wasting the energy needed to "process" those emotions. People might judge you as flippant, but just ask them: what exactly would they do to solve the issue if they were in your shoes? They are usually just upset that something which would have dragged them down for weeks is something you’ve dismissed as unchangeable and moved past. They think they have to suffer. They don't. They just have to accept.
I’m not just talking about the little things; I’m talking about serious loss, like the death of a loved one. You can handle the natural processes of life much easier with this mindset—but only if you practice acceptance on the small things first. That politician’s latest decision, the driver in the emergency lane, the dropped ice cream, or the Hadida that stole your Koi... if you learn to get over the small stuff quickly, you’ll have the strength to handle the big stuff.
Except for fireworks. I choose to remain angry about how people ignore the trauma and death of animals for this vile practice. I’m keeping that little fire lit so that, hopefully, I can help influence a ban on this selfishly destructive habit.
For instance, a business in Pretoria was raided last week. They were licensed for fireworks but had over twenty times their allotment in stock—enough explosives to level the shop and the entire neighborhood.
Does anyone know the law regarding explosives? If you know whether the public can influence investigations against people who flaunt the law for profit, please let me know. I have zero faith the judicial system will "GAF" without serious outside lobbying. You know how I get when I get a bee in my bonnet about something wrong; I want to create a precedent that warns people there are actual consequences for their actions.
Honestly, it’s 2026—if your god requires you to make enough noise to kill animals in celebration, your god is wrong on so many levels. Tell your god we have drone displays now.
So, for 2026, I wish you many blessings, an attitude of gratitude, and the gift of speedy acceptance.
And chocolate. Lots of chocolate. xox
