The Return of Light

Winter Solstice, December 21st, marks the longest night of the year — that threshold moment when darkness feels like it just won’t let go, but it does. On December 22nd, the light lasts a little bit longer. Slowly, the light returns with days growing longer…but you cannot perceive it yet. The shift is real, but invisible.   

This natural cycle holds deep meaning for us — descent is not defeat. Darkness is not abandonment. Sometimes we must go all the way down to find our way back up. 

We recognize this edge. We sometimes find ourselves standing here not because we’ve failed, but because we’ve reached a natural turning point.  

The work you’re doing right now — even when you can’t see results, even when everything feels stuck — it matters. Because at these turning points, hope becomes more than comfort — it becomes capacity. Hope leaves the door open, letting light come in. It’s the leader who stays curious when the plan fails. The team that keeps asking questions when answers feel impossible. The colleague who finds resilience when there seems to be nothing left to draw from. And as we walk through the door with hope, clarity arrives, and wisdom follows. Willpower makes way for waypower. 

Hope isn’t wishing. It’s something more grounded — two forces working together: the belief you can move forward and the capacity to find your path. The inner fire that says, “I have what it takes,” paired with the flexibility to pivot when one route closes and another opens. 

This is what creates momentum even when you can’t see the full picture. Hope doesn’t just feel good — it focuses us. It makes the next right step visible when everything else is still dark. 

This Solstice invites you to ask: What are you hoping to bring to light in 2026? What are your first few steps in that direction?