It was Christmas Eve, 1914 (World War I), and the Western Front was locked in a bitter stalemate. Soldiers huddled in muddy trenches, separated by a stretch of desolate no-man's-land, their days filled with the relentless rhythm of war. But that night, something occurred that had never happened before and would never happen again. In a small part of the battlefield (near Ypres, Belgium), German troops began singing carols (Silent Night), their voices drifting across the cold air. British soldiers responded in kind, and by morning, men from both sides had cautiously emerged from their trenches. They shook hands, shared food and gifts, and even played soccer in the shadow of war for a day. I know it might sound like a good movie script, but it's an actual historical event that even newspapers of the time reported on.
The Christmas Truce remains a testament to the power of human connection, even in the most divided and unimaginable circumstances. It was sparked not by orders or grand strategy but by individuals willing to take the first step toward something greater than their differences.
🦋 2026 is Yours!
As we close out 2025, what "trenches" in your life are holding you back? What if you dared to step out first—to bridge a gap, break a pattern, or imagine a future that feels impossible today?
Most of us don’t need a dramatic battlefield to understand what it means to feel stuck. The future changes when someone has the courage to act before certainty arrives.
That’s what leadership is—especially democratic leadership. Choosing connection over contempt. Curiosity over certainty. Action over resignation.
To help you close the year with clarity (and step into 2026 with intention), here are four short practices 👇
🗓 End-of-Year Reflection Practices
1. The "Pre-Mortem" (Uncover what's holding you back)
Imagine it is 10 or 20 years in the future, and you have failed in your current pursuit. You didn’t achieve what you wanted. You know exactly why it happened. Write down that reason. The Goal: Identify potential pitfalls you’re currently ignoring.
Example: This year, I realized that the reason I might fail is cos I committed to too many projects and lost focus. So I decided to quit 4 of them in 2026, and only focus on 3 ideas/projects that bring the most value and the most interest.
2. Reconnect to what matters
Imagine you are at the end of your life. Think about the moments you would give everything to experience just one more time. The Goal: To strip away the noise and find your true north star.
The Question: How can you create more of those moments in the coming year?
Example: For me, it’s time with my kids. I’ve made a decision that we will have more adventures and even more quality time as a family in 2026.
As we head into 2026, I want to remind you again: Everything amazing you’ve achieved this year was because you were free, and that is a privilege that many in the world do not enjoy. To those who seek more freedoms, we wish you more freedom in 2026! To those who have it, let us work to preserve it and fight for others who don’t have it. Thank you for being a part of our 2025 journey. I’m grateful for the time you invest in yourself by reading the Pulse of Change.
✊Happy New Beginnings!
PS: 💝 Sharing is Caring - If this newsletter made you think or inspired you, why not share it? Forward this to a friend as a small gift of inspiration for their new year.