Stuart Valentine: Reflections on Navigating 2026
Dear Centered Wealth Family
Whenever I am faced with an extreme circumstance whether it has come in the form of a relationship challenge, political event, or market dislocation (think March 2020), I endeavor to zoom out into as broad a perspective as I can muster in order to better respond with a constructive path forward. Internally I prepare for action with the affirmation that "my peace is greater than any perceived problem" to avoid adding to the reactive upset at hand. Needless to say, I have had plenty of opportunity for practicing this affirmation in the last year!
Adding to this personal practice, I also find strength and clarity for right action from the timeless wisdom handed down through the I Ching - or Book of Changes. The first principle to take away from this wonderful document is that change IS the constant in the relative field of life. Navigating change and developing the tools for managing uncertainty then becomes the skillset for responding to the never-ending flow of challenges that come our way both individually and collectively.
One year into this second Trump administration we most certainly find ourselves in highly uncertain, and for many in our immigrant community, very dangerous times. The I Ching hexagram #29, The Abysmal, is strongly associated with danger but also has embedded within it, symbolism for opportunity. It guides the reader to cultivate a state of inner calm while moving into action to turn peril into life supporting growth. Hazel Henderson, my dear mentor and friend, was fond of saying, "meet every breakdown with the understanding that it holds the seed of a breakthrough into a new, more holistic way of being". This perspective gives me hope and courage to meet the moment with the knowledge that humanity has been here before and to persevere with compassion and unity in mind.
When it comes to money and markets, the Centered Wealth model seeks to ground our investment decisions in the time-tested principles of diversification and balanced asset allocation informed by Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) analysis. With these tools, Jina and I and the entire Centered Wealth team endeavor to meet the never-ending uncertainty of life on planet earth with a more balanced approach to identifying growth opportunities while appropriately managing risk suitable for each client.
If there was ever a time to take a risk with our financial resources to demonstrate the values of human decency, compassion, and mutual respect, it is now. We look forward in 2026 to engaging with each and every one of you to creatively support your personal response to the times we live in. As Charles Eisenstein so elegantly put it, each one of us has a contribution to growing "that more beautiful world in our hearts we know is possible". Today, that may mean confronting the not so beautiful aspects of our human nature that seeks to divide us and finding a way back, through open hearted communication to a shared experience of Centered Wealth.