Funny how life works. This time last year, I had a clear vision of what today would look like. I really did. Everyone told me that I could coadt this year because I had been so awesome.

I had big plans, strong predictions, and maybe even some stubborn expectations. Yet, here I am—standing in a place I didn’t foresee, living a life I wouldn’t have envisioned. And you know what? I’m in a better place mentally than I ever thought possible. I changed everything.

A year ago, I believed this year would be great. And in many ways, it is. But not in the ways I imagined. There’s something humbling about life’s surprises, the unexpected detours that reroute our plans. It’s a reminder that no matter how well we think we can predict the future, life always has its own rhythm.

New job. New circles. New plans for the new year. It’s all different now. What I thought would be steady has shifted. The people I imagined would be here may have moved on. But I have gained new perspectives, fresh opportunities, and a stronger sense of self. There’s a certain fluidity to life’s comings and goings, and I’ve learned to accept that as part of the abstract dance we’re all caught up in.

The real crux of it all? We must live. Truly live. The past informs us, yes, but today is not yesteryear. It’s a new chapter that deserves to be lived fully—without the shadows of old expectations. The key is not to get too attached to the plans we laid out in the past, because life will surprise you. And sometimes, those surprises lead to better things than you could have ever planned for yourself.

So, as we close out this year and begin another, I remind myself of this: Life unfolds in its own time and in its own way. We don’t need to have it all figured out. We just need to live.