Here we are, another year ahead of us. A new chapter. A fresh calendar. A year filled with hope… and, if we choose it, real healing.
I’ve worked in the human potential field for more than 20 years, and every January I witness the same familiar storylines rise to the surface:
“New year, new you.”
“This is the year I finally lose the weight.”
“2026 will be my year of financial freedom.”
And listen… I am all for goals. I believe in growth. I believe in striving. I believe in becoming better than we were yesterday. But after two decades of working with the human mind, body and nervous system, I want to gently challenge how we approach a new year.
What if we entered 2026 with a fresh outlook? What if, instead of chasing the result, we embodied the emotion we believe the result will finally give us? What if we stopped waiting to feel confident… peaceful… free… worthy… and chose to live from that emotional state now?
Most people don’t actually want to lose weight. They want to feel comfortable in their body. They want confidence. They want freedom in how they move, dress and show up.
Most people don’t actually want more money. They want relief. Security. Choice. A sense of ease and safety in their nervous system.
The goal is never the goal. The feeling is the goal.
And as far as I can tell, this realization may be one of the most powerful “hacks” we have. One that pays dividends in every area of life.
We get so emotionally caught up in what we don’t have that we miss a fundamental truth: We already carry what we’re searching for. We are the thing we’re looking for. We are the medicine.
When we live in constant awareness of lack — “I need to lose weight,” “I need more money,” “I’ll feel better when…” — our nervous system stays activated. Our body remains in survival mode. And from that place, sustainable change becomes incredibly difficult.
But when we begin to embody the emotional state of what we desire… peace, confidence, freedom, safety, our physiology shifts, and this isn’t wishful thinking. This is biology.
Your brain and body are in constant communication. Every thought you think sends a signal through your nervous system and into your bloodstream in the form of hormones, neurotransmitters, and peptides. Stress-based thoughts increase cortisol and adrenaline. Empowering thoughts increase dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins.
Neuroscience and psychoneuroimmunology show us that the body can begin to shift its biochemistry within 150 to 300 milliseconds with a shift in a single thought.
Yes, this means one thought. Just one … can change your physical state. Now imagine repeating the same emotional state over and over again. Your body does not respond to the future. Your body responds to the emotional signal you’re sending right now.
If your inner dialogue constantly says, “I really need to lose weight,” your body stays in a state of needing.
If you avoid looking at your bank account because you’re afraid of seeing a negative number, your nervous system stays wired for scarcity, and abundance becomes nearly impossible to embody.
Your body will always follow what your mind tells it.
I know what your logical mind might be saying. “So you want me to feel like I’ve already lost 50 pounds?”
“That feels unrealistic.”
“That feels fake.”
I understand that resistance.
So let’s start smaller. Have you ever lost 10 or 15 pounds before? Can you remember how your body felt? How did you move differently? How has your confidence shifted? Can you allow yourself to feel that again? Can you drop into that emotion now?
The brain does not know the difference between a vividly imagined experience and a real one. When you emotionally rehearse a state, your nervous system responds as if it is happening now. So you’re not pretending. You’re training your biology, and these are reps we should all kick off the new year with!
Now let’s go a little deeper. I can’t share this concept with you without addressing the work of Dr. Masaru Emoto. His work has had a profound impact on how I think. Dr. Emoto’s work demonstrated that water responds to intention and emotion. Literally! Positive words and thoughts created coherent, harmonious crystalline structures, while negative words created disordered patterns when he looked at the water he tested under a microscope. Meaning you can direct a thought toward a glass of water and science can prove how your thought changed the structure of that water … for better or worse.
Now, my friend … your body is more than 70% water. So I’ll ask you gently: What are your thoughts already doing to the water inside your cells? Are they supportive? Or are they heavy, critical and fear-based?
And then there are mirror neurons, specialized brain cells that allow us to learn and adapt through observation. They explain why emotions, habits, and behaviors are contagious. You are neurologically wired to mirror the people you spend the most time with. So pay attention to the five people you surround yourself with most. You are becoming a reflection of them, whether you realize it or not.
I share this information with you because we put more focus on counting calories, working out harder, eating more kale salads, when we should be putting positive energy into our thoughts and words and being more mindful of who we choose to spend our time with!
I also want to remind you that lasting transformation does not come from force. I have learned this over the years. Lasting change comes from alignment.
When you change your thinking, you change your biology. When your biology changes, your actions change. When your actions change, your life story (your biography) changes.
This is the work. The real work. The work that lasts. The change you’re looking for is already within you. But you must be willing to let go of the old stories: stories rooted in fear, shame, scarcity and self-judgment. You must be willing to step into forgiveness and gratitude to release the dense emotional energy that has been holding you back. This is powerful work.
And it is the most important work I do with my clients, helping them shift the reality they think they have so they can step into the reality they are meant to live. If you feel called to go deeper… If you’re ready to stop chasing and start embodying… If you’re willing to surrender old patterns and do the inner work that changes everything…I am taking on six private clients for 2026.
This is not for everyone. It is for those who are truly ready. Because when you change from the inside out, everything else follows. The path forward isn’t outside of you. It’s you. Click here to see if we are a good fit for 2026!
Happy New Year
@Dr.Anna.Marie
PS: Join me on January 1st and January 4th in Bakersfield, CA, for two amazing events to kick off the new year.
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