Happy New Year. A new year always brings a time for deep reflection. I love looking back at where I was at the beginning of the year—mentally and physically—and comparing it to where I ended up.
For me, it’s common to feel negative at the end of the year. I tend to focus on the goals I didn’t reach and convince myself it was a stagnant year. But when I remind myself of all the places I traveled (big and small), the little wins along the way, and the moments where I stepped outside my comfort zone, it no longer feels wasted. It feels like growth. Like progress. Like time well spent.
A reminder that I didn’t get exactly where I want to be, but I did take another step closer to the life I envision.
Last year, I returned home after spending four months in Washington state reconnecting with an old college roommate, followed by three months in Europe visiting my brother in Germany and another college friend in southern Spain. Every time I left the house, opportunities seemed to find me. There was hope. But every time I returned home, those opportunities faded.
By January 2025, I felt completely defeated. I had applied to over 500 companies and barely received interviews. The few interviews I did get came from referrals. They went well—interviewers even told me I was the best candidate they’d spoken to—yet I was ghosted or dragged along for weeks before the opportunity fell apart. I was scammed. I was strung along. I changed my resume way too many times. I built a portfolio. I watched friends lose their jobs left and right. The entire toxic work culture broke me down and reminded me why I left it in the first place when I moved to Spain to teach English and pursue my writing business.
But I needed money. I needed momentum. And I didn’t want to go back to subbing—basically babysitting—in local schools. I had my writing business, but at the time, it didn’t feel promising either.
In February 2025, after being dragged along by a friend’s company for weeks only to be denied, I hit rock bottom. Around that time, I reconnected with a spiritual coach friend who was running a 30-day manifesting challenge. I’d always heard about manifesting, but I never fully understood it. Still, I figured what did I have to lose?
She actually offers the challenge as an eBook now (Manifesting with Angels), and I decided to give it a real shot.
And honestly…it changed my life.
I started tracking what happened, and I watched what felt like small miracles unfold. Money began flowing in. My nearly empty bank account started to grow. Opportunities came to me naturally: getting paid to drive someone to the airport, jury duty, selling things I no longer needed, friends reaching out for book editing, copywriting gigs, marketing projects, and eventually landing larger book-coaching clients.
I’ve been pursuing this writing business for almost eight years, and this was the first year I made five figures. If you had told me that a year ago, I would have laughed. But it happened. And it came from changing my mindset: being more positive, letting go of victimhood, acting as if I was already living my dream life, stepping out the door, going outside my comfort zone, trusting the flow of life, and listening to my heart. There is logic to all of this. And once I understood that logic, I finally began to see its power.
I hope this inspires someone out there who’s pursuing what they love to keep going. The universe loves to test us, to see if we’re truly committed. But when you continue to follow your calling, good things happen. And the world becomes a better place because of it.
