Here I thought 2024 was rough, and I breathed a big sigh of relief when it was over. But 2025 has proven to be a strong contender, just in different ways. I did a lot of great things this year, and at the same time it was fraught with grief and, consequently, deep emotional cleansing. I learned some powerful lessons, and I learned, perhaps most importantly, how to take care of myself in definitive ways, when life is simply… life-ing.

Before I launch into those lessons, I want to share some of my daily habits and go to practices.

Over the last seven years, I’ve established and maintained a daily meditation practice. What started as five- to ten-minute meditations via the Happier app have grown into 30–40 minute sits. While I try to meditate in the morning, after my kids have left for school and before the workday begins, I don’t judge myself if there’s a day when that doesn’t happen. My goal is simply to meditate once during the day, no matter where I am. I’ve meditated in airports, train stations, trains, buses, and airplanes, cafes and offices; all I need is my noise canceling headphones and I am ready to begin.

I also find solace in (spiritual and cultural) rituals like prayer and intention setting. Some I’ve inherited from my family, some I’ve claimed from other healers and practitioners, and some I’ve come to on my own. No matter the ritual, I try to feel clearly and calmly into my intention, and I don’t fret too much about checking the box on following exact steps. I believe that acting from a place of clarity in my heart matters more than anything else.

I once read that the secret to success lies in your daily routine. When I first came across this idea, I was at a point in my life where I was hoping for big changes. What it implied and what I didn’t fully grasp then was the slowness of how life actually unfolds, and the patience required to live it. This couldn’t feel more true today. Yes, like many others, I have a list of things I hope for and want to feel into. But my daily routine of journaling, meditating, and ritualing anchors me, especially when I feel lost and don’t know what’s next.

And yet, even with these anchors in place, something feels different this year.

This is the first time in my life that I’m stepping into a new year without knowing what I want or how I’ll get there. A feeling of lost-ness. Perhaps this is a new level of spiritual attainment unlocked. Or perhaps the energy of endings was so strong that I’m still a little singe-d.

A few other insights have surfaced alongside all of this.

On decision-making:
Sometimes we’re faced with a choice, and a decision simply has to be made. We can use pro-and-con lists, tools, and matrices to move forward with clarity, but the impact of a decision is often impossible to foresee, no matter how clear we feel in the moment. Some decisions only reveal themselves over time. What I’ve learned is that how we make a decision matters less than our ability to navigate what unfolds afterward.

On life:
Life is going to keep life-ing. For much of my life, I hoped to reach a different state. As someone who has navigated anxiety and depression, I was always hoping for something better, something different—happier, more peaceful, more content? A future state I was working toward, rather than the one I was in. What I’ve learned (hopefully to my therapist’s pride) is that the only thing that’s real is the present state, and what we’re being asked to meet in any given moment. Finding joy, peace, and contentment as best we can amid what we’re facing is the way forward and how today, I am learning to live life.

And with this, dear reader, I end with a note of gratitude.

As someone deeply invested in people and their potential in the now, thank you for allowing me this space to share what I’m observing, what I’m learning through my own experiences, and for being alongside me on this journey. I hope this new year brings all that you hope and desire, and that it truly is, for you and for me, the best one yet.