January 2026 | Issue No. 58

Back To What Matters Back To Community Matters

From Whitewater to Wisdom:

Launching the New Year with Conscious Intent

Peter and I met in the most remarkable way.

I was seeking to balance the feminine energy on our July Legacy Hour panel on Inner Sustainability, but couldn’t think of a male business coach who was both successful and genuinely kind, compassionate, and respectful. So, I turned to a trusted friend, who immediately suggested Peter Matthies.

Because I’m very intentional about whom I refer, I wanted to learn more about Peter. My first step was an online search—and what I found astonished me. I watched an interview he had done on a podcast and kept thinking, He feels so familiar. As I listened, my mind went to Dr. Cherie Carter-Scott, the mentor who trained me in life coaching. I thought, These two really should know each other. Then I wondered, Do they? Finally, curiosity led me to type both of their names into the search bar.

Sure enough, there it was: Peter had been featured in a documentary film about coaching that Dr. Cherie co-produced eight years ago—Leap! I had seen the film when it first came out, which explains why he seemed familiar. But because of his accent, I had assumed he lived in Germany. To my surprise, he has actually lived in Santa Barbara for the past 21 years!

Our first call brought an immediate connection grounded in shared values. As we continued getting to know each other, I learned that several of my friends are also close friends of Peter’s!

I hope you enjoy the wisdom he brings to consciously launching the New Year. Take it away, Peter.

In a time where everything—global conflicts, economic uncertainty, and the endless scroll of social media—competes for our attention, consciously launching the New Year is more than a nice intention. It may be one of the few ways to stay centered, purposeful, and empowered in an increasingly volatile world.

I have the privilege of working with leaders from around the globe. Over the past years, I’ve been hearing the same quiet pain: people are pushed to their limits, overwhelmed, with no relief in sight. Even college students, who we imagine having the time of their lives, are struggling. Last year, 22% of them used antidepressants, nearly triple the rate from 2007.

It begs the question:

How do we avoid getting swept away by the whitewater world we’re living in, and instead use this moment as an opportunity? And what does consciousness have to do with it?

We all seek comfort and well-being; but it’s through challenge that we grow. Sailing on a sunny day is lovely; but our skills are forged when the wind picks up and the waves begin to test us. This moment in history is one of those windy, wave-tossed moments—our opportunity for growth personally, relationally, and collectively.

Perhaps this is exactly the time we’re being asked to rethink our priorities, look honestly at our fears, and recalibrate our focus on the world we want to create.

Einstein famously said, “No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.”

Working harder, pushing more, and trying to solve today’s issues with yesterday’s thinking will not create the world we long for.

Which brings us back to consciously launching the New Year: our opportunity to choose whether we want to be drivers or passengers in the years to come.