25 lessons from 2025
Reflections, notes, and lessons for you
Each year, I do a big end-of-year reflection.
In 2025, this reflection included 636 journal entries. When I do my end-of-year reflection, it’s a mix of my own stream of consciousness, answering prompted questions, reading back old entries, and now, using various AI tools to parse loads and loads of stories, messages, insights, and streams.
I learned a lot this past year. It was one of immense growth. Of expansion and contraction. Of being and becoming. Of shedding, and shedding, and yes, more shedding. I’m grateful for this past year in so many ways. It was one that left an indelible imprint on the ground of my being.
So, as part of my reflection, I wanted to share 25 lessons. My hope is that these 25 lessons can be of benefit to you.
I’ve separated them into five sections:
on knowing yourself
on relating
on work & purpose
on mindset
on taking action
Wishing you a happy, healthy, and loving new year. Let’s dive in.
on knowing yourself
Your intuition is sharper than you give it credit for. When something feels off, it usually is. Trust it before your mind catches up with reasons.
Moments that feel most alive are consistently followed by doing something that scares you.
Your true nature is loving awareness.
Rest is not a reward for productivity. It’s the foundation.
The stories you tell yourself, whether conscious or subconscious, about who you are, become true. Choose with intention, stories that uplift, inspire, and expand.
on relating
The quality of presence matters more than the quantity of time. Thirty focused minutes beats three distracted hours. Be here now. Put away your phone.
People show you who they are through patterns, not promises. Pay attention to what repeats. It’s all here if you give yourself permission to see it.
There is strength in understanding when and how to ask for help. You can’t and should not do it alone.
You can outgrow people, places, and versions of yourself. Some relationships are meant to be chapters, not the whole book. With compassion and grace, it’s not betrayal, it’s evolution. Release and move on.
You can’t have intimacy while wearing armor. Release release release. You are enough just as you are. There is nothing to hide.
on work & purpose
Busy is not the same as meaningful. You can fill every hour and still feel empty if the work doesn’t actually matter to you.
Share the imperfect. Share the mess. It’s what makes you human.
Saying no to the wrong things creates space for the right ones. Protect your energy and time, like the finite resources they are.
Give yourself a chance to go for your true reason for being here, on this Earth. How you’re of service, how you’re of benefit. All-while remember, your value has nothing to do with what you do. Allow yourself to be.
What drains you has one thing in common: misalignment with your values. Continue to notice what energizes vs what depletes. Refine, refine.
on mindset
Comparison is a thief that takes more than it gives. Your timeline is yours alone. Stop looking at other people’s.
Worrying is suffering twice: once in your head, once if it actually happens (secret: it usually doesn't).
Gratitude and prayer practiced daily rewires how you relate to the world toward greater possibility, connection, and clarity.
Flexibility is strength. The rigid break. The adaptable bend and recover.
Hold and be with contradicting truths. Competing perspectives. Grief and hope. Joy and sadness. Excitement and fear. Life is rarely either/or. It’s usually both/and.
on taking action
Small, consistent actions compound into massive change. The daily little steps are more than occasional heroic efforts.
Starting before you’re ready is almost always the right move. Clarity comes from action, not from waiting for clarity to take action.
What you tolerate becomes your standard. Raise the bar on what you accept from yourself and others.
Energy flows where attention goes. Be intentional about what you feed your focus. This shapes your entire reality.
You are more resilient than you think. Every hard thing you faced this year, you got through. And that track record should give you courage for whatever comes next.
Many of these lessons aren’t new. I’ve been with some of them for years. What I continue to learn about growth and flourishing is that it’s not about collecting new insights. It’s often about forming deeper grooves. The deeper wells. The expanded capacity.
Thank you, 2025. I love you.