Good morning Reader,

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Welcome to the 31st issue of The FAM.

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Here we are.

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We’ve made it through the holidays.
The calendar has turned.
And tomorrow morning, the first Monday of 2026 arrives, ready or not.

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For a brief window, we’re still in that in-between space. The pause after celebration. The quiet before the pace accelerates again. Before inboxes refill. Before schedules tighten. Before the world begins asking things of us again.

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And it doesn’t take long, does it?

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The headlines return as they did on Saturday morning. The demands reappear. Life reminds us quickly that it is complicated, heavy, unpredictable. Even at the very start of a new year.

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This is reality.

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I was reminded of this powerfully during our Fully Alive Fresh Start experience last Thursday, on January 1. Just minutes before we began, a FAM member sent an email to say she couldn’t attend. She explained that she is dealing with a family emergency, a sick pet, and a broken water heater. It was all just too much, all at once.

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And yet – many of you were there. You chose to protect time for yourself anyway. Not because life was calm. But because it wasn’t.

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That choice matters.

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What I’ve learned from years on the road, from thousands of conversations, from listening more than speaking – is that most people aren’t looking for a grand plan when a new year begins. They’re not asking for a perfect roadmap.

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They’re asking for something simpler, and more honest:

Help me get my footing and set my direction.

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That’s it.

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Henry David Thoreau once wrote about stepping away so he could “live deliberately.” Not to escape life, but to meet it more truthfully. The Stoics reminded us that peace begins the moment we stop trying to control what isn’t ours to control. Emerson urged us to trust the quiet voice within, even when the world pulls loudly in every other direction.

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Different eras. Same truth.

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A fresh start isn’t about controlling the world.
It’s about choosing how we meet it.

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That’s why we ended our time together on January 1 with a simple reminder – one that feels even more important now, on the edge of Monday:

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Start with me.

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Not in a self-centered, selfish way. But in a steady way. In a grounded way.

What is the first thing you know you need to do to begin with yourself right now?

When we start with ourselves, we show up differently – as parents, partners, coworkers, and human beings. We become more authentic. More grounded. More intentional. Better able to build momentum, create energy, and live with purpose and joy.

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Before chasing goals. Before reacting to the noise. Start with the one place you actually have influence – your attention, your direction, your next step.

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Start with me.

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Not as a slogan. As a stance for 2026.

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When we say Start With Me, we’re not talking about turning inward for its own sake.
We’re naming the first act of Self-Empowerment — the moment you take ownership of your life again.

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Self-Empowerment begins when you stop outsourcing direction and remember this:
everything you need to move from just getting by to living fully alive is already within you.

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Because the journey we’re stepping into together through The FAM isn’t about grinding harder toward some abstract version of greatness. It’s about owning your life in a way that is fully human, fully balanced, and fully alive.

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As we move forward together this year, here are a few guiding thoughts we’ll return to often:

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• Choose the right hard, not suffering for suffering’s sake, but effort aligned with meaning and purpose.

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• Honor your duty to yourself — before the world’s demands, care for the human being carrying them.

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• Remember that rest and renewal are not rewards; they are requirements for a life well lived.

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• Seek balance between effort and inner peace – because struggle without clarity leads to burnout, while struggle with alignment leads to growth, fulfillment, and joy.

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• Measure life not only by what you produce, but by how fully you live it.

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This is the road ahead. Not a sprint. Not an escape. A longer journey – one we’ll walk deliberately, together. After all, we were not made to be on this journey alone.

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Before Monday arrives, I’ll leave you with one simple question.

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What is one thing that you’d like to focus on in 2026 to live more fully alive?

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If you’re open to it, I’d love for you to hit reply and share a few words. I read every response. And your reflections help shape what we build together here.

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For now, let this be a moment.
A grounding.
A conscious beginning.

2026 is here.
It’s time to “Start with me.”

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Stay Fully Alive,

We’re on a mission to empower one million people to live Fully Alive, and you’re one of them!