2025 was a dumpster fire of a year in many ways, as we all know. I am glad it’s over!
Personally, the past year hit me like a wrecking ball.
First, I didn’t get the job I loved – the permanent, full-time position I had been working, hoping and praying for since January 2024.
Then, I got served with divorce. It felt like being kicked while I was down. Not only did I not have the job I wanted, which would have provided me with the security and foundation on which to start a new life – but also I was being evicted from the home and life that was comfortable and familiar.
I was suddenly headed straight for the unknown – and without a home or a full-time job.
If it sounds like a nightmare, it definitely felt that way for a while. But you know what? I’m so much happier now. I am definitely ending 2025 in a better place than I ended 2024.
When the worst things happen, it can actually be quite freeing. Once I stopped kicking, screaming and fighting the inevitable, I moved into a place of radical acceptance and peace.
I had worried about job- and marriage-loss for so long but, once they happened, there was no more fear or dread or anxiety. Instead, I was left with only a relentless drive to move forward in the best way possible. To find and take the next right step.
I learned to stop begging for crumbs. That marriage I was so terrified to leave? It had actually been over for years – I had been settling for less than scraps. And the job that I wanted but didn’t get? Well, that probably wasn’t the best for me either in a few key ways.
I’ve applied for dozens of jobs since and haven’t gotten any further than a few interviews before getting rejected. That process been relentless and depressing all year – but I’m learning from this, too. Those jobs clearly weren’t right for me.
In fact, maybe I’m not meant to go back to a full-time 9-to-5? I have LOVED being part-time again this year ever since October; I’ve been able to focus on self-care and on Z in ways I hadn’t been able to for almost two years.
So I am continuing to apply for jobs that look optimal but also, for now, I am focusing on my own business again and building up my client base. I am fortunate to be in a decent place ending the year – in fact, 2025 ended up being a terrific year for my little business. My best since hanging out my shingle in 2020!
Is there uncertainty in being an entrepreneur? Yes, but let’s face it – there’s uncertainty in any job. There are no guarantees in life. I have learned this year to lean into love and abundance, and to quiet my fears. When the worst happens, sometimes it ends up being the best thing.
Maybe I needed that wrecking ball to wake me up, give me clarity. Perhaps I needed a kick in the butt to make me realize that I should have made some of these life changes YEARS ago. I’m leaning into my own power and magic now in a way that I never have before, and it feels incredible.
Bottom line, I’m truly happier on my own. My daughter is happier and thriving in our new two-household life. My co-parent is happier. So clearly, the divorce was the best thing for everyone. Even though it sucked in many ways, because it feels like a failure, I realize that failure can be a route to growth. Failure is how we learn.
2025 was a year of AFOG* for me – an acronym and life state I both love and hate. I love it because I want to grow and get better all the time, but hate it because of the necessary discomfort involved!
As I reflect back on the past year, I’m proud of my resilience, hard work, humor and grace. I made some important decisions and showed immense determination in buying my condo against tremendous odds. I embraced my newfound independence and made a cozy, safe, beautiful and love-filled home that Z, the dogs and I all adore. I dove headfirst into community, connection and village-building, making new friendships, strengthening existing ones, finding a church home and adding important elements to my self-care and well-being toolbox.
I love the life I am building and the path I am on. It feels like the universe is rewarding me with so many blessings – like wonderful travel opportunities falling into my lap after I had resigned myself to a life with less travel.
A divorce and being single at 55 was not in my life plan or vision board… but I’ve never chosen a traditional journey this far, so why should it surprise me that I continue to take the path less traveled in my mid-50s and beyond?
If you’re facing big, scary things in 2026, know that you’ve got this… and that sometimes the most amazing life imaginable is waiting just on the other side of that fear. It definitely was for me.
Wishing us all peace, happiness, good health and prosperity in the new year!
*AFOG = Another Fucking Opportunity for Growth
