I am not a New Year resolution kind of girl. Never have been. I feel like that tends to have a way of setting us up for failure and self disappointment rather than being a motivator. I am a word of the year kind of girl though. But more on that later. That’s not what I came to write about.
I came to talk about why a new year is important to me. The significance of it. Because really truly, we can start over at any point in life, right? Any first day of the month, any first day of the week, any first moment of the day, and not first anything (as in the middle of a month, day, moment). At any given moment of any given day, we can choose to be a start of something. We get to choose that. But a new year is a great marker of time. It gives us a solid time in life to measure against. And I love that.
I came to talk about why a new year is important to me. The significance of it. Because really truly, we can start over at any point in life, right? Any first day of the month, any first day of the week, any first moment of the day, and not first anything (as in the middle of a month, day, moment). At any given moment of any given day, we can choose to be a start of something. We get to choose that. But a new year is a great marker of time. It gives us a solid time in life to measure against. And I love that.
Lauren Daigle’s song, “You Say,” came on my playlist a little bit ago. (If you’re tired of hearing me talk about that song… sorry not sorry.) It being the first of a new year, my mind automatically went to the first of last year. (Total sidenote… how is it 2026 already? Seriously, 2025 flew!) Ok, let me pull my thoughts back together here.
Last year. January 1, 2025. I was in such a different place in life. A different place mentally, emotionally, spiritually, physically. Just a completely different place. That song embodied what I needed and wanted. I cried every time it came on. I didn’t feel truly loved. I felt abandoned. I didn’t feel strong. I felt completely broken and scared. I didn’t feel held. I felt very much alone and unworthy. At times, I felt that even God had left me. But knew really, I was the one who had pulled away. I desperately needed that relationship back. And I knew if I could find my way back to that, I’d also find me again.
Y’all, I can’t even tell you how much growth and healing has happened in my life this past year. So so much. I knew somehow I’d end the year a completely different person. I honestly had no idea how. I just knew it had to. I had lost myself before. But I had done just enough healing leading up to this time last year that I knew I was ahead of the game this time. I also knew that enough was enough. I absolutely could not allow myself to ever be in that place again. A place of feeling unworthy. Of self-doubt. Of feeling like God was so very far away. Of questioning myself. Of not having a solid foundation on who I was and that feeling of losing me again. A place of giving too much of me away. Of not keeping important boundaries in place. Boundaries to keep myself healthy, not boundaries to push others away. There’s a difference. I had refused to protect and love myself. And that’s not ok.
So, I made the decision at the beginning of last year (really it started the end of 2024 as I began to allow myself to see the reality of what was right in front of me more and more) that enough was enough. Things had to change. Whatever that meant. And honestly, I wasn’t 100% sure what that meant just yet. And let me tell you, it was scary!
I always say change is my comfort zone. But there are some changes that aren’t so much. And the things I knew I had to change to get myself back on track were not at all in my comfort zone. Mainly, learning to love me and make myself a priority again. That’s hard. I’m amazing at taking care of others. Of putting them first. Of loving them. But me? That’s a whole other story. So 2025 was the time to learn how to do that. And learn I did.
God held me all the way.
And as distant as I felt from Him at the time, I knew He would. I knew because He always had. I’m very much a live by faith kind of person. To the point that it has caused problems with others in the past. I’m not a worrier. I will take action where it needs to happen but I know how to sit in quiet and let things unfold when they need to. Sometimes that’s the only way you will see the answer. So I knew this would be no different. He had never dropped me and I knew He wasn’t about to now. Again, I was the one who had pulled away. Not Him. He was just waiting for me to stop long enough to let Him back in to start guiding me again.
“The only thing that matters now is everything You think of me
In You, I find my worth, in You, I find my identity
Ooh-oh
You say I am loved when I can't feel a thing
You say I am strong when I think I am weak
And you say I am held when I am falling short
When I don't belong, oh, You say I am Yours
And I believe, oh, I believe
What You say of me
Oh, I believe
Taking all I have, and now I'm laying it at Your feet
You have every failure, God, You have every victory”
This carried me through the entire year. I went from freezing in place and tears when this song came on to smiling and feeling whole again. Whole with God. Whole in who I was made to be. Loved. Strong. Held. It all slowly came together again.
“She is clothed with strength and dignity. And laughs without fear of the future.”
Proverbs 31:25
Proverbs 31:25
So, wherever you are on this January 1st, know you can be light years away by December 31st. Whatever that means for you. Whether it’s the need for growth and self-discovery like I needed for 2025. Or it’s the need to continue to remember who you are now and never abandon yourself again, which is where I am for 2026. Or anywhere in between. You are worthy. You are capable. You are deserving. And you are most definitely not alone.
Use today as your marker. I can’t wait to see where you are by this time next year!
Use today as your marker. I can’t wait to see where you are by this time next year!
xoxo Angela
Choosing a Word of the Year changed everything for me.
I didn’t have a full plan — but I had words that grounded me, guided me, and reminded me who I was becoming.
If you’d like help discovering your own guiding word for the year ahead, I created a free Word of the Year Workbook to walk you through that exact process — gently, intentionally, and with purpose.
Let me start by saying, this has been one hell of a year.
I didn’t know how this year would unfold, but I knew who I was no longer willing to be.
So much change
So much growth.
So much clarity.
So much peace.
So much alignment.
Y'all, the person I am now compared to who I was when I entered this year...oh my goodness.
She saw this.
She knew better things were coming.
She knew she would end the year on a high note.
She knew listening to her intuition would pay off.
She knew God would guide her.
She didn't have all the answers.
She didn't have a solid plan.
She knew she didn't know so much.
But she did had faith.
I entered 2025 alone. Quietly, mindfully, intentionally. I prayed. I meditated. I journaled.
I chose my words that would guide me through the year.
Empowered and Held.
I listened to Lauren Daigle's "You Say" over and over. It became a guiding song for me.
Proverbs 31:25 became my guiding verse.
I didn't know just how much the way I entered the year would spill over into the rest of the months. I've learned to be quiet and listen. I've learned to be mindful of my thoughts and my actions. Towards myself and others. I've learned to live and act with intention.
I simply don't have the time or energy to put toward things that aren't meant for me. Toward things that will threaten the inner peace I've found. Toward anything that leads me away from God rather than to Him. Toward anything that gets between me and my goals and dreams. Toward anything that keeps me from living out my purpose. And toward anything that makes me doubt myself.
All of this brought me to two simple words that shaped everything for me this year.
Empowered.
To stand up for myself.
To choose where I put my energy.
To stay true to me.
To be positive in a world so full of negativity.
To say no to anyone who threatens my peace.
To walk away from what doesn't add value to my life.
To live my life as God has intended.
Held.
By God. He's never let me fall and He never will.
By family, who have never let me forget who I am. Who always are there to support and encourage me.
By friends who love me and accept me as I am. Who cheer with me and at times have cried with me.
By me. My words are always the loudest in my mind. Learning to hold myself. Allowing myself to feel all the emotions, good and bad. Learning to flip the script and reminding myself of my value and my worth and that God put me here for a reason. He's allowed me to go through what I have for a reason. He's got big plans for me. And so I learned to hold myself gently and through His eyes. (That last one will be a forever, ongoing process.)
I can honestly say 2025 has been one of the best, if not THE best year of my life. I've learned so much about myself. I'm proud of myself. I've learned to love who I am. I've learned to love time spent alone. I've learned to trust myself again. And I've learned to believe in myself.
2026, you've got some big shoes to fill. But I know it's only up from here and I can't wait.
Choosing a Word of the Year changed everything for me.
I didn’t have a full plan — but I had words that grounded me, guided me, and reminded me who I was becoming.
If you’d like help discovering your guiding word for the year ahead, I created a free Word of the Year Workbook to walk you through that exact process — gently, intentionally, and with purpose.
👉 Download the free workbook here and begin your own journey: Begin with your Word
xoxo Angela
