Grateful, melancholy, festive, wistful—these words describe my typical end-of-year feelings. I’m grateful for another year, melancholy that another year has passed, festive for the holiday season, and wistful for Christmases and New Year’s past with loved ones, who are now gone, and for simpler times when I had less to manage and worry about. All of these ring true now, but what I most look forward to is the eventual slowing of schedules. As work subsides and meetings get delayed until after the new year, I welcome a few precious days with nothing obligatory on my calendar — time and space for reflection.
Reflection, now more than ever, feels perpetually neglected. One must find the proper venue and time to decompress from daily stresses and distractions. It is important to sit in peace and quiet to take a general account of where things stand in life. To be fair, this is easier said than done, but reflection is a necessary set of checks and balances for the mind, heart, and soul. When neglected, it can leave you feeling adrift. For me, there is no better way to reflect than to write. So consider this a bit of a mind dump as I reflect on 2025. I invite you to reflect along with me. Read the full post