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
Counting my blessings one by one.
Let 30 days of thankfulness begin!
And let me just say, limiting to 30 is going to be a challenge this year. Which may seem a little over the top considering the year I've had. But I can honestly say so much goodness has happened this year.
I chose to end 2024 and begin 2025 in a way that I never have before. In a way I never even considered. I chose to stay home alone, (well me and the dogs). I needed quiet and calm. I needed to hear what was trying to be spoken to me. I needed direction. And this was the only way I knew to get it. I moved out of 2024 and into 2025 quietly, mindfully, and intentionally. I spent the evening meditating and journaling.
I left 2024 feeling lost and confused. I entered 2025 with some clarity and peace.
That shift didn’t happen overnight — it was the beginning of a slow awakening, one that would stretch and strengthen me in ways I didn’t see coming.
The next couple months would prove to be hard, full of emotions, and learning to set hard boundaries with those I love most. I knew this was going to be key this year.
I was tired. So tired of fighting and filling others cups without having my own filled. I was tired of giving more of myself than I had to give. I had lost myself, set my values aside, and walked away from God. I finally recognized this and needed to fix it desperately. And so I chose to begin the new year with all of this in mind, ready to listen and be led.
And you know what? I found peace. Like I said, the first couple months to get to that peace were a wild ride. But I stuck with it. I continued to lean in and be led. That would become the theme for my year.
There was so much uncertainty. But I trusted. I lived by faith like I always had before. I began to trust me and my instincts again, knowing this wasn't random. It was Divine guidance.
So, here I am. Ready to share so much of the goodness with you in the month of November. Why? Because I can! 😊 And who doesn't want a daily dose of positivity and gratitude? (If you're one who doesn't for some reason, you should probably block me in all areas for the next month, if not for forever. Just sayin.)
If you’ve been walking through your own season of uncertainty, I hope you’ll join me this month in counting blessings — big or small. Sometimes gratitude is what carries us home. If this year has taught me anything, it’s that peace isn’t found in perfection — it’s found in presence.
Oh and if you aren't already following me on social media, make sure you do that now so you get all the goodness in your feed! 👉 Follow me on Facebook for daily gratitude, encouragement, and little glimpses of my journey.
And stay tuned. I'll share more about my year, including the words, scripture, and song that held my hands and guided me through the year later next month.
xoxo Angela
