A Reflection on Where We Are and the Year Ahead
When things feel out of control and overwhelming, how do we stay grounded and keep moving forward?
The start of this year has been marked by uncertainty, upheaval, and rapid changes—both here in the United States in the aftermath of another divisive election, and around the world. Many of us are navigating feelings of disorientation, frustration, or exhaustion as we watch events unfold that seem beyond our control.
I’ve felt this deeply myself, and I’ll admit I’ve been quiet here at Agents of Change as I process what’s happening—not just on a national and global scale, but also in my local community and personal life.
Change can feel overwhelming, especially when it arrives swiftly and disrupts what we thought was stable. It can challenge our sense of agency and make it hard to know where to focus our energy or how to take the next step.
It’s easy in times like these to slip into a sense of helplessness. Questions surface, like:
What can I possibly do to make a difference?
Does the work I’m doing really matter in the face of all this?
Where do I find the motivation to keep going?
These are questions I’ve asked myself, and I know many of you have too. It’s important to recognize that these feelings are not only valid but also profoundly human. We live in a world that often demands constant action and quick solutions, yet moments like these remind us that slowing down to process, reflect, and recalibrate is just as vital.
Our exhaustion is real. So is our grief for the things we’ve lost—whether that’s a sense of security, opportunities, or resources that have suddenly been cut. Acknowledging these emotions is the first step toward moving forward with intention rather than reaction — moving in the direction of our values as changemakers.
And yet, amidst the uncertainty, I keep returning to one truth: the work you—we—are doing to build more compassionate, empathetic, and connected communities matters. It mattered four months ago before the US election, and it matters just as much, if not more, today. Positive change doesn’t happen in grand, sweeping gestures alone; it’s cultivated in the everyday actions we take, the relationships we nurture, and the conversations we continue to have even when things feel hard.
While large-scale systems may feel immovable, our local communities, personal networks, and immediate spheres of influence are places where we can continue to plant seeds of change. Those seeds grow through sustained care, collaboration, and a commitment to showing up—especially when it’s difficult.
So rather than asking ourselves questions out of depair and helplessness, we begin to ask a very different set of questions:
What does it mean to be a changemaker in times of upheaval?
How do we keep imagining a better future when everything feels uncertain?
How do we stay grounded in our values while moving toward change?
What role will you play in shaping the future we need?
The Future Is Now
Last year, I spent a lot of time thinking about the future: how we imagine it and how we begin to shape it collectively. Through conference talks, workshops, and conversations with many of you, I explored themes of imagination, abundance, community, and nature as guideposts for envisioning alternative futures. These fundamental ideas continue to resonate with me, perhaps even more so now.
In times of upheaval, it’s easy to lose sight of what’s possible beyond the present moment. But as peace activist Kazu Haga reminds us:
"Offering a vision of a different future and cultivating the belief that such a vision is possible is the best way to motivate people to stand up for change."
These words inspire me to resist the pull of despair and to lean into radical imagination—the kind that allows us to dream beyond the immediate crises and envision what a better future might look like. Radical imagination is not a luxury; it’s a necessary practice for anyone working toward meaningful change.
This coming Friday (February 28th), I’ll be sharing more thoughts on this theme during my public talk “The Future Is Now" at Western Washington University (thanks to Ashley Mask and the Department of Art & Art History), where I’ve been invited to speak with their community about the future. Preparing for this talk has been an opportunity to reflect on where we are right now, and how important it is to stand up for our values and keep envisioning better futures. I’m grateful for the chance to engage with others around these questions and to offer what inspiration I can during a moment when so many of us are searching for direction.
Looking ahead for Agents of Change
I want this year to be one of reflection, conversation, and collective growth. How do we stay grounded in our core values as we navigate these times? What’s within our control to change? How can we strengthen our communities of practice and mutual support?
To help explore these questions, I’m excited to share some announcements here at Agents of Change:
🔹 Welcoming Bryna Campbell: I’m thrilled that my partner and spouse, Bryna Campbell, will be joining Agents of Change as a contributor. Behind the scenes, she’s been integral to content development, workshop planning, and community engagement. She also writes thoughtful reflections over at Slow Outdoors, which I highly recommend checking out. I’m excited to highlight her voice and share the rich conversations we’ve been having around the issues shaping our times.
🔹 New Initiatives Coming Soon: We’re planning to experiment with a new Book Club podcast series exploring thought-provoking reads to inspire and motivate us. We’re also developing a new workshop on Core Values—a topic that feels especially vital right now. Stay tuned for more details on both!
I want to hear from you
As we reflect on how to move forward in these challenging times, it’s more important than ever to listen, connect, and support one another. This space is intended to be a community of changemakers, and your voice is a vital part of that. In the Comments below, I invite you to share your thoughts, questions, and reflections.
What challenges are you facing?
What questions are you wrestling with right now, and as you begin to navigate the year ahead?
How can this community better support you?
Share your responses in the Comments, or send me an email at murawski27@gmail.com—I genuinely value your experiences, insights, questions, and concerns.
And, most importantly, thank you for being part of this community.
Your presence, ideas, and commitment to creating change truly matter. In times like these, it’s easy to feel isolated in our efforts, but being part of a collective—a community that cares deeply about building a better future—can remind us that we are not alone.
Together, let’s embrace imagination as a tool for envisioning what’s possible, cultivate our powers of resilience, and keep showing up—imperfectly, courageously, and wholeheartedly—for the future we believe in.
Our actions, no matter how small they may seem, are the seeds that can grow into lasting, meaningful change.