The Keurig signals it has done its job, and I transport the mug to where I will be sitting for the next two hours—not before adding a splash of vanilla creamer. It's time for my annual Year In Review.
I open my notepad to a new page, click a pen, and wrote at the top: Meditations on 2024.
This year has been a wild ride.
I got a new job, packed everything into a U-Haul (car in tow), and hauled my entire life from wintery Pennsylvania to sunny Alabama. Even then, things didn't settle down. Being on a visa, every major move comes with unpredictability, waiting on government institutions, and tons and tons of paperwork. This year has involved huge steps of faith that were often frightening. But I grew as a person through every one of them.
Another sip of coffee.
I've also been writing this newsletter for a year and a half now. In many ways, it still feels like I'm just starting. Many weeks, I felt like I didn't know what I was doing. I still doubt myself and wonder what I'm trying to do with this whole thing, this thing you're reading right now.
But the journey of creating more boldly online has brought new people and nuggets of wisdom into my life—like you. If anything, it has added wonderful things to my life.
This newsletter is not my first venture. I've kept a blog of some kind since I was 17 (so I've been writing online for more than 9 years now!). I guess there's always been something inside me that won't be content unless I share my intellectual pursuits with others.
I will keep on writing in 2025, exploring my curiosities and exposing my readers to a greater understanding of the mysteries of the human experience and the splendor of a purposeful life. If you continue to join me, I'm deeply grateful for your presence.
So in these yearly reviews, I try to talk about interesting stuff I've learned along the way and what I want to take with me into the new year.
Before we dive into the next part, here are some of my favorite essays from 2024:
5 Meditations
I. There are seasons in life that you will not know the purpose for. Many you will understand in retrospect, but some that will remain unexplainable.
The question that remains is, "How will you continue to pursue your calling?"
II. You can design meticulous plans for your life & work extremely hard for them, but providence & fate often come from unexpected places.
For example: I worked really hard in my job searches. Like, really hard. But the funny thing is, the jobs I got in the end were never ones I found on my own, but were dropped into my lap, so to speak.
It doesn't mean you don't have to put in the effort. It does mean you can trust providence a little more than you might think.
III. It's dark. But there's hope.
When has it never been a politically tumultuous year? But it was election season, so it was especially so. Regardless of where you stand, it was a dark time for everyone, where anger, violence, and discrimination abounded. (Up until this past year, the idea of assassinating a political leader was, to me, a thing of history books)
The tumult isn't just political. It's also economic, personal, and romantic. The majority of Gen Z are despairing in this time.
But I still have hope, because good, reasonable, and loving people are all around us. If good and wise people stand fast and take ownership of their communities, goodness will prevail.
IV. One's true wealth is in the relationships they have.
I reflected on this idea in this essay. I also recently watched one of my favorite Christmas movies, It's a Wonderful Life, that beautifully touches on this as well: "No man is a failure who has friends." Because of the friends the main character George Bailey made along the way, he was proclaimed the "richest man in town."
V. You've never fully loved yourself until you let others fully love you without guilt or judgment.
I often find it difficult to let people love me in their actions. It's uncomfortable to receive goodness I don't deserve. But a lot of those feelings are rooted in a deeper unwillingness to love myself. Letting others love you is a step closer to self-acceptance.
So what will be my rhythms for 2025?
On the horizon
My word for the year: expansion.
Why? I feel like I'm in a phase of life where I can put down deeper roots — and thus start reaching for more in various areas.
Expanding: Reading & Learning
I've been thinking about reading diets: just as a proper diet has a good balance of nutrients, a reading diet has a balance of genres and topics. I want to get back to the classics, with a dash of history, a sprinkle of self-development, and a mash-potato-volcano of psychology. I'll keep writing book reviews and share my learnings from the ones I like.
Expanding: Experiences
I'm terrible at getting outside. Weeks and months can pass me by without experiencing anything new or different. I want to prevent that. So that means getting to know my city, community activities, hiking trails, etc.
Don't forget to take a breath of fresh air!
Expanding: Professional Work
I'm happy with my job in marketing and communications, and there're actually big and exciting projects on the horizon. I intend to expand in the area by connecting with other professionals in my field, building a team, and upscaling content productions.
Expanding: Relationship-Building
As mentioned before, I'll be connecting with fellow creators online to learn, inspire, and grow together. We all need individuals who challenge our thinking and introduce us to new ideas.
I'll also be expanding in my personal relationships. Forming new friendships, strengthening existing ones, etc.
Stay purposeful.
– Nathanael
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