Last year, I resolved to bring more joy and peace into my life. What I didn’t realize at the time was that both of those things require something people rarely talk about: inner permission.
You can chase peace all day long, change your environment, change your schedule, change your habits, but none of it sticks until you change what’s happening inside yourself. That took me about eight months to figure out, but when I did … wow.
I will never find real peace if my sense of self-worth resides in the hands of other people.
When you spend your life worrying about who approves of you, who’s watching you or who’s judging you, you hand over the steering wheel. The world becomes heavier. The joy becomes conditional. And the peace becomes something you only get in short bursts.
The 5 Truths That Set Me Free
I have to be okay with who I am, fully, unapologetically, and give exactly zero F’s about opinions that don’t matter. (In the most responsible and socially acceptable way, obviously.)
For the lucky few who already live this truth, skip ahead. But for the rest of us, the ones carrying insecurities, old scars, childhood bullies, mistakes we can’t forget or expectations that never belonged to us in the first place, this part is for you. Here’s what I learned:
1. You cannot heal in environments that constantly remind you of who you used to be. Some people only know an outdated version of you. They’re committed to that memory because it keeps them comfortable and allows them to judge the old you against their current self.
2. Your peace is your responsibility, not something you wait for. Peace doesn’t come wrapped in a bow. Peace comes from boundaries, self-respect, quiet moments and choosing not to carry every burden handed to you.
It is built through hobbies, rest, connection and doing things because they feed your soul, not your reputation. And here’s a huge one I found that helps big-time—learn to say “no” more often.
3. Stop apologizing for evolving. Your growth will intimidate people who preferred you when you were easier to control, predict or dismiss. Let them be uncomfortable—that isn’t your problem, it’s theirs now.
4. Stop shrinking to make other people feel more comfortable. You are not responsible for anyone else’s insecurities. Your light doesn’t blind people who have their own; choose to hang out with them this year. The conversation is different at that table.
5. Finally, be bold enough to like yourself. Self-acceptance is freedom. The moment you truly like who you are, you’re comfortable in your own skin, without filters, edits or qualifiers, you become untouchable.
This year, make the most radical, rebellious decision you can make—be yourself. Fully. Loudly. Quietly. Honestly. Imperfectly. Authentically.
New Year’s Resolution
So what’s my 2026 resolution? It’s the next evolution, and it’s deeply introspective: Stop being so judgmental of others. This one hits hard when your self-awareness makes you realize that the very thing you have worked so hard to overcome is the exact thing you are guilty of.
In this issue, we explore some amazing humans who seemingly have achieved a level of self-awareness that should act as a great motivator for the rest of us. First, let’s talk about our cover star, Zac Brown.
Zac has never been afraid to step out there and push the boundaries of the more conventional Nashville scene. A collab with Avicii? Did that. Now a song with Snoop—yeah, you read that right. He was the pioneer of bridging genres. Do you think he wasn’t judged for that? Of course, he was, but he doesn’t care—it’s who he is.
Then there is my exclusive interview with Franco Gussalli and Carlo Gussalli Beretta and our coverage of the company’s 500th anniversary. You certainly don’t last 500 years if you’re always worrying about what others are thinking.
From custom one-off guns that are as unique as the person who carries them to the company’s history, which even included producing Beretta cars at one point, you can never build a legacy like Beretta by staying within the box that others put you in.
Reading on, you will find great articles on boundary-bending bands like The Droptines, recipes by our Canadian neighbors who are always a little different IMO and much more. This is an exciting issue, so before you go all psychoanalytical on yourself, give it a full read. Maybe what you have been missing all along is a little more Hook & Barrel in your life!
To do so, be sure to subscribe to Hook & Barrel Magazine!
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