Sharing today’s Monday Morning Mojo on the first day of 2026 to share inspiring stories from 2025 beyond the drumbeat of challenging news fed to us on a day-to-day basis. I am convinced these stories outnumber what we hear about every day; they just don’t attract the attention such stories rightfully deserve.
As I write today’s missive from my couch, rehabilitating a new knee I received earlier in the month, I am reminded how fortunate we are as a species. Of course, I get nostalgic for many things in the past, but all aspects of life, properly guided and regulated, have the potential to improve the way we live through science, technology and more. Lisa and I often talk about the big challenges facing the world, many of which could be solved if big tech or big science redirected their efforts to solve such problems.
Amid all of this, however, are random acts of kindness, great feats achieved by determined people and teams, the generosity of others, and a framework for the United States, established by our forefathers, that created a framework for becoming a great nation.
For today’s Monday Morning Mojo, I am sharing a few stories I have collected this past month that I hope inspire you for the coming year. Wishing you a fantastic 2026.
Story #1 is a quick clip of kindness shared by the actor, Steve Carell, for students affected by the California fires. This story kicked off 2025 and was a small demonstration of people coming together to support those affected by the fires.
Story #2 is the final out of the 2025 baseball season, which saw the Los Angeles Dodgers win the World Series in what I believe was some of the best sports television of all time.
Story #3 is a clip shared by my son Samuel, of a young man, Logan Knowles, who was born with cerebral palsy, who wouldn’t take “no” for an answer. Against all odds, he completed the New York Marathon, and that story is here.
Story #4 is a clip about Phillip Rivers, coming out of retirement to become one of the oldest American Football players of all time. Rivers is a grandfather playing a young man’s game, and it was inspiring to see him out there competing for the Indianapolis Colts.
Story #5 is an NBC clip that features several heartwarming stories from 2025 that inspire. I am sharing that here to give it a wider audience.
Story #6 is a clip from Walther Isaacson, one of my favorite writers who has penned several great biographies, including Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Einstein, among others. In this clip, Isaacson brings our attention to an important event that will take place in 2026, the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America, and a sentence in the Constitution that has withstood centuries of challenge. For those of us worried about truth, honesty and the future of the United States, this clip, I hope will give you some comfort. It did so for me.
I am most grateful for this community. Thank you for reading the Monday Morning Mojo and sharing an occasional comment. Wishing you the very best for the coming year.
