Happy New Year, Reader 🥳

I hope yours started well and positive – and if it hasn’t, don’t worry. From what I’ve read, the Universal 9 Year Cycle is actually going to end only in mid-February, so until then, universally, everything is still shedding.

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On Jan 1, my husband and I reviewed the previous year and set new faith goals for the new year. Yes, we used my material called The Conscious Year. If you haven’t downloaded yours yet, it’s still available only for my newsletter subscribers, reply and I will send you.

When we reviewed the previous year, I couldn’t help but write down my lessons on my 2025 Word of the Year: Generosity.

I actually got inspired to choose that word by some friends and colleagues whom I believe are one of the most generous people I know. I wanted to practice that too and to pay it forward and become it.

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So in this week’s newsletter, I want to share my learnings and give you some practical reflections on how to live a life of generosity (you may not expect some of the lessons here, so read on).

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1. You can never outgive generous people

I once wanted to overly bless my friends who have been extra generous with me – some of them are my Kuya Migs, Kuya Jay, and Ana, my childhood best friend.

Trust me when I say that every time I try to, somehow every year they give more than they gave the previous year – whether that’s a more surprisingly accurate gift, better quality, or simply more in quantity.

I came to a conclusion: I can never outgive generous people. Generous people just always give more. And for what reason? I don’t know, other than the fact that they simply have great, big love and great, big hearts.

When I observe their lives, they are present in almost every donation drive – whether that’s for storm victims, blood, or platelet donations.

I told my husband, “Ohh yeah, I am always surrounded by generous people in every stage of my life.”

He replied, “Honey, because you already are generous. And that’s the funny thing – you think you aren’t yet, and that’s the blind spot of generous people.”

Honestly though, I still don’t fully believe it. I genuinely believe I can still do better. I know I can do better.

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2. Claiming generosity moves you to take bigger risks, trust deeper, and surrender more easily

I observed the life of my Kuyas. Somehow, these two people always have something to give. When COVID-19 came, I saw both of them rallying to donate to people who lost their jobs. In our group chat, that’s exactly what you’d see too – they share opportunities to give, donate, or volunteer.

During COVID, it wasn’t like they weren’t affected. They were. They still had personal obligations, but they still give.

When I made generosity my full-year intention for 2025 and began practising it intentionally, I started to understand why generous people always seem to have something to give.

It’s not that they’re just blessed with more or that they don’t have problems of their own – it’s that when you give even while you’re struggling, you believe your needs will always be provided for.

You believe there will still be something left for you after you give. And somehow, somewhere, there always is.

It’s as if the universe, God, supports this mission. And when I thought about it more deeply, I realised: Silly me, of course, God is the most generous giver. 😅

So if it’s in your heart to give, He will always provide a way. And I don’t mean just making ends meet. I mean it in an expansive, abundant way where there is still leftover.

Take the story of the Five Loaves and Two Fish. Whether you believe it literally or symbolically, we can all agree it represents faith and the heart of God.

He doesn’t want anyone to go hungry.

He gives us the opportunity to offer what little we have, but we must be willing.

And then we witness how it multiplies, with twelve baskets left over.

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3. Generosity also teaches you how to receive

I don’t think we will truly step into genuine generosity – the kind where you don’t give to be thanked – without first learning how to be generous toward ourselves.

One of the opposites of generosity is receiving with guilt or hesitation. And this doesn’t only apply to money or gifts – it includes service, support, care, and comfort.

In the previous year, I learned not only how to receive from others, but also how to give to myself.

I booked those Ayurvedic therapy sessions, the salon blowouts, bought what I needed and some things I simply wanted. I didn’t wait for anyone’s permission to give myself what I knew I needed.

Feeling taken care of enabled me to take care of others better – and more generously –each time.

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4. The world is abundant and generous

Living out my word of the year opened my eyes to a version of the world that is abundant – even in the middle of all the chaos happening around us.

In the midst of war, I saw people rallying together, giving generously their time, resources, and attention to fight for the oppressed. Imagine if more people joined forces and held accountable the political leaders who are actually at war.

In the midst of political division, I saw humanity’s abundance of ideas and perspectives, even opposing ones. Imagine what we could build if we stopped crucifying people for having different opinions and instead created something better together.

In the midst of my own personal challenges, I saw how God was tackling each obstacle one by one. Most of the time, I only noticed it once it was already overcome.

I look at the world and see new species still emerging in the animal and plant kingdoms. Heck, we’ve even developed and put artificial intelligence to use.

I once heard from a mentor, Kuya Rex, that money is always just there. It doesn’t disappear into outer space. It simply moves – some people just hoard more of it instead of using it for good.

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Of all the Words of the Year I’ve chosen in my seven years of doing this exercise, I can honestly say this one is my favourite, and I don’t want it to ever end.

So, for this year, surprisingly enough, when my husband and I shared our Words of the Year for 2026, we both wrote the same word: ABUNDANCE.

Hahaha, I didn’t know what to feel when I found out we wrote the same thing – even though we journaled separately.

But one thing I know for sure: this means something. For two people in the same family to write the same word – it must mean something. I don’t know exactly what yet, but I can feel it.

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Question for You This Week

What would generosity look like in your life if you trusted that there will always be more than enough?

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If this reflection resonated with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Hit reply and tell me what stood out, or share your Word of the Year with me.

I read every message, and your reflections genuinely shape how this space continues to grow 🤍

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Here’s to our Year of Abundance,

Dane ✨(￣▽￣)✨