How do I put this into words? I have a feeling, an inclination, an idea. Last night (December 18) I finished up another women’s circle – this one was themed Creating an Intentional Life. Week by week we discussed how to show up for ourselves, how to reclaim our identity, and how to find our way back to who we once were. All with the intention of culminating a stronger, more confident, and braver sense of self. Remembering you have choice, you have agency, you have choice. It isn’t about grand gestures or sweeping changes, but in small actions, short reflections, and quiet devotion to yourself.

So where does this leave me? Ha?! Not any further ahead at expressing myself than I was 24 hours ago. Sometimes, this is just hard to convey!

I am hopeful that in 2026, I will be able to have a better sense of self. I’ve lost a lot of who I would like to be in the past few years. Mostly because life gets really busy and I didn’t even think about all the things I wanted to do and accomplish. I don’t think we ever stop growing as people, and in the coming year, I want to keep growing into that.

Whether it is through the yoga practice, learning more music (which I haven’t touched in months), continuing my writing, or with taking up learning math again (which I was doing well with, but abandoned when I started working on the research grant in 2023)! But developing a sense of ‘self’ doesn’t have to be all of those ‘things’ either. It can be the three minutes I take in the mornings to set an intention for my day, or the better choices I make for breakfast (it can be eating breakfast and not drinking a pot of coffee).

I have hope, which is even the start of it all!