CGB Report #004
BY: Andrea G. Shenkman
12/23/2025
HOLIDAY GREETINGS
From Career Growth Basics


A look back at 2025 Wishes

turning 2 Wants and then 2 Needs.

-------------------------------------------

It started bright as new times do.

There was -

  • New tech stuff with promises to fill wishes 4 new job possibilities.
  • New leadership for our land to turn the wishes of its citizenry into democratic prosperity.



This new dawn soon turned confusingly dark.

Grabs were made for people and places and things using negative means:

  • Bypassing judicial basics.
  • Disregarding human dignity.
  • Stewing words in slop.
  • Berating and bullying.

The gap between haves and have nots widened and got lost in the cloud.

  • Haves trumpeted progress.
  • Have nots cried foul -

No One heard.

Fear of the need for work

  • turned to fear of not finding work
  • escalated to fear of poverty.

Confusion caused headache and heartache.

And, then-------


more shots.

Not just at home

But around the world

-as the holiday season started.

Peace on earth. Goodwill towards all.

The pain--

heightened

by the lack of outrage.


What are we becoming?


A look forward to

2026 Basics 4 Hope

--------------------------------------------

It’s hard to say Happy Holidays when there is gloom and doom.

It’s hard to say Happy Holidays when there is sadness all over the world.

It’s hard to celebrate when it seems there is no care.                                                                                                                                                                               


But, I ask - think about this:

Living to the best of our ability honors the dead.

Living to the best of our ability

  • Disarms
  • Confounds

those raising barriers of exclusion.

Think about the thought that –

Living to the best of our ability

  • tickles our feel-good, human cells
  • helps us find a way forward
  • helps us be the best human we can be.

How to look forward to 2026?

I invite you to start to look forward to 2026 by considering these first Basics 4 Hope steps.

No promises.

No resolutions.

Just some Basics 4 Hope to think about.

FIRST STEP

Create hope in your mind.

You don’t have to believe it.

You don’t have to feel it.

Simply choose to think

about the word HOPE.

SECOND STEP

Remember the last time you

were full of hope.

Remember what was

happening that caused

you to feel full of hope.

THIRD STEP

Recall this

‘Remembering Hope Exercise”

during this holiday season

to keep yourself open to

care and to kindness.



My wish for all of us for 2026 is to use Basics 4 Hope to live to the best of our ability in becoming

  • prosperous in mind
  • healthy in body
  • strong in spirit
  • fulfilled financially
  • courageous in the power of choice
  • lovingly surrounded by family and community.

From my family to your family, wishes for a holiday celebration full of love. 

Andrea

Educator/Career Coach

www.careergrowthbasics.com

Got a question?

Want to comment on this CGB Report?

It’s easy to Stay-In-Touch