(YOUR WEEKLY NOTE FROM ANGELINE)

Happy New Year Reader,

In the last 2 years (2024 and 2025), we’ve been seeing AI seeping into every crevices of our lives, virtual hand waves replacing in-person handshakes, and social media algorithm-chasing.

We’re ready for the counter-movement. A human rising.

Starting with these four things:

1. Bet on your own wisdom instead of AI algorithms

Too often we make decisions based on what AI recommends. It causes lazy thinking. We need to take back our decision-making power. Don't let your thinking muscle atrophy.

2. In-person, small-scale events

So many conferences went virtual (not gonna lie, the cost savings are great!) but the sheer scale and frequency just adds more faceless names to my connection list. After attending more networking event this year, I believe that one real-life connection beats ten virtual friends.

3. Our human immaculate imperfection

Flaws make us real. It’s our rough edges that give people something to latch on to.

Sounding like a bot is no longer cool, and we human want our voices back.

4. Joy-scanning through books instead of doom-scrolling

Ok, we're a long way away from curbing doom-scrolling, but if there's one thing I'd like to see us replace it with, it's this:

Leave a pile of books on your desk or bedside that you can flip through when you're bored, without the pressure to finish them. Grab a pencil and underline a phrase you love. Take a picture and send it to a friend with "thinking of you."

I'm currently scribbling and highlighting all over The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. I am now a graffiti artist to my own books.

These are the things technology can't replicate—the pencil marks, the dog-eared pages, the "thinking of you" text with a photo of a book passage, or the friendly face that greets you with a smile and a hug.

This is what builds real connection. This is how people remember your name.

What do you want to see more of in 2026?
Or, tell me what book(s) you're currently reading.

Let's make 2026 the year we bet on ourselves!