As we welcome 2025 next week, let’s take a moment to reflect on all that 2024 brought into our lives.

This is a time to hold space for both the celebrations and the challenges, the growth and the lessons, and to step forward with openness and intention for the year ahead.

I want to share some insights from my Mindfulness teacher Tara Brach during her talk Helping Our Students Cultivate Wise Trust.

The Kindness Mantra for 2025

Tara shared the story of a young girl whose parents were going through a difficult divorce. To help her daughter process her emotions, the girl’s mother introduced her to loving-kindness meditation. During one session, when asked to send kind wishes to her father, the girl softly said, “May you have cupcakes.”

What Is Wise Trust?

Tara’s teachings on Wise Trust offer a helpful framework for stepping into the new year with clarity and intention.

She describes Wise Trust as having two layers:

1. Small T Trust: This is the trust we place in our relationships, routines, and systems. It’s part of our daily lives but can feel fragile because it depends on factors outside our control.
2. Big T Trust: This is the deeper trust rooted in love, awareness, and belonging. It reminds us that even when things feel uncertain, we are supported by something larger than ourselves.

Wise Trust involves balancing these two layers. It asks us to hold life’s uncertainties with strength and compassion while staying connected to what matters most.

Building Trust Through Small Acts

The young girl’s “cupcake wish” is a perfect example of how small actions can build trust and connection. It wasn’t about the cupcakes themselves—it was her way of offering care and love in a way that felt true to her.

This reminds us that trust doesn’t need to come from grand gestures.
It often begins with the simplest acts of kindness—a kind word, a thoughtful gesture, or sharing a moment with someone you care about.

Practices for Wise Trust in 2025

Here are a few ways you can bring Wise Trust into your daily life this year:

1. Start with Small Steps:
   Trust can begin with something as simple as a heartfelt compliment, a warm smile, or even sharing a cupcake.Try This: This week, find a small way to show kindness to someone in your life. These small actions can build a stronger connection over time.
2. Honor Vulnerability:
   Trust grows when we acknowledge our feelings and allow ourselves to be open, even when it’s difficult. Tara shared the story of a young transman who learned to hold both his fears and his truth with compassion, allowing him to trust himself as he moved forward.Reflection: When uncertainty arises, place a hand on your heart and say, “It’s okay to feel this. I can meet this moment with kindness.”
3. Reconnect with What Grounds You:
   Big T Trust often comes from relationships, memories, or experiences that remind us of our connection to something greater. Tara shared the story of a woman in hospice who found comfort in her mother’s smile, the beauty of nature, and the love of her friends.Practice: Reflect on the relationships, places, or practices that bring you peace. Return to them whenever you feel unsteady.
4. Practice Loving-Kindness Wishes:
   Just as the little girl wished her father “cupcakes,” we can take a moment to send kind wishes to ourselves and others, even in difficult times.Try This: Sit quietly, close your eyes, and silently repeat these phrases:
   • “May you be safe.”
   • “May you feel loved.”
   • “May you have cupcakes.”

Mark Your Calendar: Upcoming Talk with Brian Shiers

To explore these ideas further, join us for our first mindfulness workshop of 2025:

Topic: Start the Year Off with Resilience
Date: January 10, 2025
Time: 9:00 AM
Location: https://kalikazoom.com

Brian Shiers, LMFT, will guide us through practices for strengthening resilience, which he describes as “the capacity to express or absorb life’s energy and rebound feeling supported and balanced.”

We’ll explore how connection, mindfulness, rest, and care can create a strong foundation for the year ahead.

Register here to join this thoughtful discussion.

Moving Forward in 2025

As we step into the new year, let’s carry Tara’s words with us:

Wise Trust is built through small, intentional acts of care.

Whether it’s sharing a kind word, holding space for vulnerability, or simply wishing someone “cupcakes,” these small moments can bring a sense of connection and peace to both ourselves and those around us.

May 2025 bring you kindness, joy, and moments that remind you of the goodness in yourself and others.

Wishing you love and light & a Happy New Year!

Chair, Harvard-Westlake Mindfulness Club