2026 is about to begin.
And, as with every year, the standard practice would be to wish you a “Happy New Year.” However, I would like to go one step further. Because real life is not a perfect postcard. And you know it.
Life, as it has always been, is a “bundle” of experiences: very good moments, good moments, ordinary ones—the majority—bad ones and, sometimes, very bad ones. Acknowledging this is not pessimism; it is the first step toward real happiness.
The good news is that that “bundle” is not set in stone. It depends, to a large extent, on what we prioritize.
What can we do to make that bundle the best it can be? Three very specific things:
1. Make use of science: Improve quality of life with what research has already shown. Start now for free at www.institutodelbienestar.com with our Wikifelicidad or the short course “How to Be Happier”.
2. A culture of non-harm: Live without harming any sentient being (with the sole exception of legitimate self-defense). Less harm is, quite simply, more well-being for everyone.
3. Invest in neuroscience: Support the science of the brain and the nervous system.
Do this exercise for a moment:
Recall the three moments in which you suffered the most in your life.
Now recall the three happiest moments.
Can you imagine a life—yours and that of those who come after—in which that suffering could be avoided and day-to-day experience resembled those moments of fulfillment much more closely?
That is not achieved through good wishes alone. It is achieved with science and courageous decisions. That is why I invite you to make this your first act of 2026:
👉 [Sign here to prioritize research against suffering and in favor of maximizing well-being]
Every signature counts. Every small action can bring us closer to a humanity that suffers less and lives better.
Now, yes—from a more honest place—I wish you a happier new year. Not a happiness of empty wishes, but one grounded in real causes.
May 2026 be the year in which we stop waiting for happiness and start building it together.
Warm regards,
Xavier Paya
Well-Being Institute
