In less than twenty-four hours, some will ring in 2026 with bottles of champagne and balloons, filled with eager anticipation of conquests and no losses. Others would take it in by curling up in the fetal position. For them, the new year promises to be a continuation of misery rather than victory. Therefore, some describe the former as victors and the latter as damaged. Such categorizations are dangerous, as they subtly imply that victors are never broken and those who are hurt are ruined. In both instances, society writes the life story, and the person merely acts out the script.

We are all an assemblage of stories or pieces, and being authentic requires accepting our whole selves. But to do so, we must grasp the true meaning of brokenness and recognize that, like a mosaic, sometimes wholeness emerges from pieces.

Acceptance of brokenness

A few weeks ago, I shared about the gift of brokenness. I realize that describing oneself as broken is abominable to some. For a long time, I also took offense at the idea that, at any point in my life, I was not whole, i.e., incomplete, fragmented, or broken. I worked extremely hard to achieve all I did in the time I did. Admittedly, while I did not want public recognition, I desired silent acknowledgment. Also, although I didn’t walk around discussing my list of accomplishments with others, I often pondered them.

Therefore, experiences like being bullied appeared as a stain on my record, and I kept them out of sight, speech, and memory. It seemed I wanted to rewrite my history by erasing the imperfect pieces through suppression and repression. Little did I know that brokenness exposes beauty by shedding light on the character one must develop. Ironically, I did not come to this realization until I understood what brokenness truly meant. As defined in the Cambridge dictionary, brokenness is a state of severe emotional pain that stops someone from living a normal or healthy life. Undoubtedly, at some point, we all find ourselves in such a predicament. The acceptance, consciousness, and awareness of this reality enable us to grow and evolve.

To become whole, we must see our broken pieces.

A beneficial spirit is broken and contrite because such a person realizes that their greatest value is not their innate greatness. Instead, it is their ability to walk through their weaknesses and emerge better. We recognize our true value when we mature by enlightening our minds while retaining a childlike heart.

As we prepare to enter a new 365-day cycle, I reflect on the child I was – the person that my wonderful sister, Jessie, fondly referred to as baby Aké. – That little girl loved to write, dreamt vividly, and spoke to herself. Yes! I spoke to myself out loud! It seems that at a young age, I realized that one of the most important voices to me was mine. For that reason, I honed it so that I would always remember who I was and what I believed. Later, when I was broken by life, that voice became loud enough for me to find my way. Since then, whenever Life doesn’t work as I think it ought, or when I fall short, I remember who I am. Additionally, my faith in my Creator assures me that I am never alone and I always have support in finding my way home.

To an authentic 2026 for us all!

For you and to you,
Aké