2024 was a whirlwind for my life. It was a year of personal realizations, mental and physical health struggles, and choices that have pushed me to reevaluate what lies ahead.
As 2025 starts, I'm holding onto the lessons I've learned and the challenges that are ahead, and trying to view them both with a sense of hope.
But before I expand on that thought, I'd like to talk about squirrels—because they're always the best metaphor for my life.
The Squirrels Always Know
On a rare, cool Florida morning, sitting outside on my back porch, I watched a squirrel dart between the branches of the oak tree with absolute certainty. I'm pretty sure it was Skippy, the squirrel whose tail has a "skip" in his fur.
He had no hesitation, no second-guessing. Squirrels prepare for winter with tenacity, gathering what they need and leaping from branch to branch without overthinking. It’s messy, sometimes chaotic, but they trust their process, their instincts.
This is the kind of energy I want to bring into this year. 2024 taught me that trust—in myself, my choices, and the timing of life—is what I need most. Much like Skippy, I’m ready to leap into the unknown, even if it means I will fall every now and then.
"We Jump or Die"
My mom's dementia continues to help me understand what family means and how I best care for her, and others. During a visit this past week, my daughters, myself, and mom went out to spend time on the patio at her memory care center. When the door closed behind us, I asked how we'd get back inside. Without skipping a beat, my mom answered, “We jump or die.”
In her clarity—or maybe her confusion—she captured exactly how I, and I think my daughters, feel stepping into this new year. Life demands action. Whether it's a bold leap or a careful step forward, standing still isn't an option for us strong women.
Watching my mom's decline has reminded me that time doesn't pause for us to figure things out. Using this reminder, I’m learning to take small steps each day, knowing that real progress is made in the doing, not in the waiting. But, when I feel the pressures of "the doing," I'll also offer myself grace to rest and breathe in "the waiting."
Turning 50: My Personal Legend
This year, I'll celebrate my 50th birthday. Early-childhood trauma, countless experiences, mistakes, joys, adventures, and self-reflection. It feels monumental, like standing at the edge of something both terrifying and exhilarating. To mark this milestone, I've started the year reading a book that's been on my to-read list for years: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.
One passage in my reading today really stuck with me:
"It's what you've always wanted to accomplish. Everyone, when they are young, knows what their Personal Legend is. At that point in their lives, everything is clear and everything is possible. They're not afraid to dream, and to yearn for everything they would like to see happen to them in their lives. But, as time passes, a mysterious force begins to convince them that it will be impossible for them to realize their Personal Legend. It's a force that appears to be negative, but actually shows you how to realize your Personal Legend. It prepares your spirit and your will, because there is one great truth on this planet: whoever you are or whatever it is that you do, when you really want something, it's because that desire originated in the soul of the universe. It's your mission on earth."
This year, I'm going to be working with that “mysterious force.” I'm going to rediscover the dreams I had before life became complicated, traumatized, weaponized against me. Starting the year with The Alchemist has been like a spark reigniting those dreams, reminding me that the universe often nudges us to reconnect with what our hearts longed for in our childhood.
For me, and I'm sure there will be deeper reflections as the year progresses, I had a deep sense of fighting for the oppressed and fighting against injustice. I'm not sure where this discovery will lead me, but I want to be more open to listening to it.
Building a Better Me
As I stand at this crossroads, I’m focusing on growth—personally and professionally— to create a life that reflects care for myself and the people I love:
My health: Walk more, nourish my body with intention, meditate often
My boundaries: Continue to protect my mental health by saying no when I feel the need.
My business: Focus on expanding my UGC adventure and exploring new editing and writing roles.
My time: Be fully engaged with my people, my tribe, those who matter to me.
My joy: Read more, laugh more, and try new hobbies that light me up. (Cross-stitch is first on the list, but I have to admit, it's a daunting task for my vision-impaired eyes!)
My self: When I fall short, extending grace to me, and to others, because we're all doing the best we can.
So, What's Next?
2024 brought steady work to my business, but it also left me wondering, "What’s next?" This year, I’m stepping into uncertainty with more courage and more determination. More short-term editing projects, pushing myself with UGC, putting myself out there for writing roles—I'll be making moves that line up with recognizing and honoring my Personal Legend.
As my mom so wisely said, we jump or die. And as Coelho showed me, the desires of my heart come from the soul of the universe. This year, I’m ready to jump—with a deep sense of gratitude for my past— even the traumatic parts—and a renewed hope for what's ahead of me.
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