You’ve been lurking around here for a while now
Taunting me.
Haunting me.
Creeping around every corner, waiting patiently in the shadows, camping out in the attic,
Gripping my throat with your ice cold claws when I’m at my lowest.
You step onto the scene and
Dread locks in.
The sweat glands in my trembling hands kick into overdrive. The rapid beating of my heart leaves me breathless.
You know you have won when I isolate;
Turn out the lights.
Close the curtains.
Lock my doors.

But I’m done.
I’m done opening my door for you.
Done pushing everyone away just because you told me to.
I’m done letting you own me and degrade me, telling me I’ll never measure up, telling me I’m alone in this world, highlighting my insecurities.
I’m ready to fight back
Stand up tall, shoulders square,
Jaw set in defiance.

You’ve been lurking around here for a while now
But I see you
And I’m turning on the lights
Because you can’t control me anymore.

This is my house
My family
My planet
And you don’t belong here anymore.

There is no room for you in my victory.

I don’t have to be anyone but myself.
This year, I am reassessing my goals and balancing ambition with rest.
I will look into the mirror, meet my own eyes with grace, and declare, “I am enough.”
In 2025, I will walk boldly, my hands open to possibility, spreading seeds of love wherever I’m planted.
Friendships will bloom like wildflowers, beautiful and unexpected.
I will chase justice with steady feet.
Though I am among many, I will be a beacon, a lighthouse in a storm, lighting the way for others to feel seen, to feel safe.
I will live fearlessly, propelling forward with purpose, even when the ground shifts beneath me, even when I am unsure of my next step.
I will change my mindset, shifting from fear to freedom.
I will choose myself as an act of healing, a soft rebellion against the urge to shrink.
This year, I will be safe and comfortable in my own company, without judgment, without apology.
At the end of every day, I will ask only, “Do I approve of me?”
2025 will not be perfect, but it will be rooted, honest, abundant.
This year, I am becoming my favorite self—whole, fearless, healed—a life in bloom, rooted in acceptance.

I see you.
The way you push yourself to be better every day—that MEANS something.
I’m proud of you.
You work hard to improve the lives of those around you.
I forgive you.
For not performing as well as you wanted. For not reading minds. For not exceeding your expectations.
I adore you exactly as you are.
And I thank you.
Thank you for eating meals and taking your vitamins. Thank you for putting down the knife and calling a friend when you needed help. Thank you for going to work every day even when you’re tired. Thank you for doing the dishes and the laundry, even though you really hate it. Thank you for going to church to sharpen your spirit. Thank you for everything you do every single day to keep yourself alive. None of it is in vain. You are so valuable.