Every New Year, like clockwork, we fall for the same rituals. We make vision boards. We write desire lists. We set intentions. We scroll through horoscope reels. We watch the sky fill up with fireworks and maybe even whisper wishes into the night. 

We try to summon the future into shape, manifesting as hard as we can. We reflect on the past year, the way our lives have unfolded so far—our achievements, lessons learned, biggest letdowns, and most confusing detours—and find comfort in believing that the dots of our past and our future are all connected. That they have a logic to them we just can’t see yet.

But the truth is, none of us really knows. And that’s both terrifying and, somehow, kind of beautiful.