The Year I Learned to Stay
This year was more about reflection. Maybe that’s the best way to describe it. At the beginning of the year, I intentionally chose “Rooted” as my word for the year. I wanted to feel grounded — in who I am, what I value, the people I choose, and the life I’m building. I didn’t realize that becoming rooted would also mean looking backward. So I looked back. Five years. Ten years. And for once, I wasn’t asking, “What could I have done differently?” I was asking, “How did I become this person?” That question felt kinder. Ten years ago, I finally had clarity about the future I wanted to pave. Five years ago, another set of roadblocks was cleared, allowing me to keep moving forward. Looking back now, I can appreciate those moments with more maturity — not just for what happened, but for the patterns connecting them. My systems-thinking brain is, of course, giddy happy about this. I’ve always been wired to connect dots, notice patterns, and understand how th...