Let 2025 be the Year it Begins Again

I’m not sure about anyone else, but 2024 was a year for me. It was heartbreaking, stressful, anxiety-ridden, and just hard.

My life, as I had known it for 27 years, changed in a matter of days. Strangely enough, just days before everything fell apart, I gave someone a hug. At the time, I didn’t think much of it. I felt like I was on top of the world. But looking back now, it felt like the kind of hug you give before everything changes—as if my future self knew I needed one last moment of peace and comfort before life turned upside down.

I thought 2024 was going to be amazing. I thought it was going to be the year everything changed. And while it did, it wasn’t in the way I expected.
I had my heart broken, was talked down to, called names, and accused of things I didn’t do. I looked back at past mistakes, wishing I hadn’t made them, convinced they had ruined things. I’ve cut ties with people I thought would always be there. I stood up for myself and got in trouble when I did. The whole of 2024 felt like a wild rollercoaster.

I felt so defeated some nights that I didn’t think I could handle one more thing going wrong. But somehow, morning came, and I kept going. These moments are a testament to the strength we all possess, often unrecognized until life demands it.

I always joke that I’m one of those girls who ate grapes on New Year’s Eve in 2023, hoping for good luck. Honestly, I think the grapes tried their best, but they saw what was coming and ran.

But now, I look back at 2024 with a different mindset.

Yes, the year was heartbreaking and challenging, but I’m proud of the person I’ve become despite everything. I used to be so shy and scared to speak my mind and oppose what everyone else was doing and saying.

I look at the challenges I encountered and the harsh words spoken, and I realize that while these things stung and hurt me, they happened so I could learn valuable lessons and cut ties with people when needed.

Just because you’re forced to hold a bond with someone doesn’t mean that the bond is healthy or needs to be lifelong. Cutting contact with people who don’t bring positivity into your life is okay. And I’ve learned that putting myself first isn’t selfish—it’s necessary.

I entered December with a clear mind. After so many months of rushing around, filled to the brim with anxiety and sadness, I’m finally at peace. I feel okay starting the things I wanted to start in 2024.

And maybe that’s the lesson 2024 gave me: sometimes, the ground needs to crumble beneath your feet before you can find steady ground again. It’s not an easy process, but it’s worth it. The growth and positive changes that came from this tumultuous year give me hope for the future.

Don’t get me wrong—I was delighted to see 2024 disappear after the countdown on the clock.

But I also think that 2024 was the end of a toxic cycle for me. This is finally the time for me to flourish, shine, and step onto the path I’m meant to take.

The other day, I found myself hit with reality while thinking about my excitement for 2025. My brain literally said, Why are you so excited? You don’t know what 2025 is going to bring you. But that’s the thing: if I’m so excited about 2025 that I had to snap out of it for a second, imagine what reality can bring.

This year feels different. Not because I expect perfection every day but because I know I’m stronger, wiser, and ready for whatever comes my way. I’ve seen what I can survive, and now I want to see how I can thrive.

I’m writing this on January 1, 2025. The first day of 2025. It’s a Wednesday. To all my fellow Swifties out there: I’m sure you understand the meaning behind the phrase, “On a Wednesday, in a café, I watched it begin again.” I think this is the year we make it happen.

This is your year. You choose what to make of it. I am very excited about 2025 and what it holds. I’m ready to see my life begin again, and I hope you are too.