As 2025 comes to a close, I’ve been reflecting on what I had to learn and unlearn. One of the things that supported me most in this season was reconnecting with my body, my sense of self, and my creativity. Over the summer, I attended an art fair with a friend and fell in love with a piece by artist Martha A. Wade. I spent some time talking with her about the work. The figure, modeled after her daughter as a child, is curled in a fetal pose, a symbol of protection, healing, and new beginnings. Something about it immediately resonated. It captured the feeling of embracing a new beginning in a way I couldn’t quite put into words at the time.
2025 was just… weird. In many ways, I have mixed feelings about it. I met some amazing people and went deeper below the surface than I have in a long time, while the external environment felt chaotic and unsettled.
Not everything worked. Not everything lasted. But new things blossomed, while others ended. Certain truths kept showing up in my work, my relationships, and how I related to myself. I also got clearer about what success really means to me. These are five of the most important wisdoms I’m carrying forward into 2026.
- Trust your body and your gut: This is hard to nail down objectively, and maybe that’s the point. Every time I ignored what my body was telling me, I paid for it later. That primarily showed up in decisions about how I spent my time and with whom I chose to associate. Doing so much yoga and weight lifting this year helped me reconnect with my body in a way I hadn’t before. Now, when something feels off, I notice it sooner, and I trust myself enough to respond.
- Stop manic manifesting: This year, I learned the difference between believing in something, making room for it, and trying to force an outcome. Manic manifesting is rooted in fear and control: If this works, then I’ll trust myself. I started to see how much of my thinking was built around if-then scenarios that weren’t actually real. I’ve learned how to snap out of this vicious cycle.
- The next step is usually right in front of you: Clarity doesn’t come from overthinking. It comes from removing clutter. When everything feels confusing, it’s often because there are too many voices, expectations, or options competing for attention. So this year, I focused on a few things that were working, not on the many that weren’t.
- Endings are part of life: Some endings are chosen. Others arrive without permission. Either way, they create space. They even make room for luck. Endings can be sad and still be necessary. Letting them happen, or choosing them, is uncomfortable, but it’s also powerful. But one thing we often miss is endings make room for beautiful new beginnings. I’ve experienced my share of both this year. Some felt cathartic, while others weren’t so much. But, all cleared the way for something else; some were even better. Things that I could not have imagined, as they didn’t fit into my “plan.”
- Healing does happen: This year, I realized that I had healed in areas that I didn’t even realize. Something just shifted. Like most people, I noticed it in hindsight, when I realized I was responding differently than I once did. Or, I didn’t get caught in the same negative thought loops or systems. Sometimes we underestimate how far we’ve come because we’re measuring ourselves in the wrong environments. This year reminded me that healing is real and that we’re often making more of a difference than we realize, even when the impact feels quiet.
These wisdoms will guide me as I move toward my 2026 intentions.
Which one are you carrying into the next year?