Now it is time to show courage!

The turning of the year always invites reflection. It is a pause between what has been and what might yet be—a quiet, collective breath. For many, it is a time of personal resolutions: to eat a little better, to rest more, to speak more gently. As you probably already remember from our 2025 New Year’s resolution, not for us. As we stride into 2026, it feels as if something deeper is being asked of us. The world has grown unsettled. The ground beneath our institutions shifts faster than we can entangle it. Economists, policy thinkers, and scientists alike now describe our shared reality as volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous—the so-called VUCA world. The term emerged decades ago in the United States military strategy, but it has since migrated into business, public policy, and global health. In its simplest form, it captures what many already sense; that clarity and control have become rare commodities. Yet, paradoxically, this realization can be liberating. When we accept that uncertainty is here to stay, we stop waiting for perfect stability before acting. We begin to lead with intention instead of fear. ‘Now, more than ever, it is time to show courage.’