The Year That Built Me

I’ve thought long and hard on how to write this, I’ve rewritten it several times and I’m still not sure I got it all right, but coming off one of the toughest years to date, I’ve got an entirely different perspective now that I’ve sat and processed all that took place in 2024.

I’ll be the first to admit, I’m naive, a hopeless romantic, a glass half full optimist kind of girl, but absolutely nothing could have prepared me for 2024. 

I started off like everyone else, saying 2024 would be "my year." I had goals, both personally and professionally, I wanted to achieve and I truly felt I was at the height of my social selling business. My team was thriving, I found my target audience and was leaning in to serving them through content, zoom meetings, newsletters with tutorials and more. I finally felt I found my groove. 

Personally my kids were both in school, I was being really intentional with three daily non-negotiables for myself and I was feeling confident in my own skin. But spoiler alert, things quickly changed, my mindset flipped and there were many moments I was just hoping to keep my head above water through the hills and valleys that 2024 brought. 

So why was this the year that built me?! Because 2024 showed me my true strength, taught me to fully surrender, helped me understand that regardless of my plans, God’s plans are greater than I could image and that no matter how dark or bleak the situation appears, He will never leave or forsake me. It was the year my relationship with God grew and my testimony became more clear. 

TO RECAP THE YEAR:

Hills :

-I read, memorized and relied on more scripture than ever. 

-We prioritized family time which included several vacations, day trips, movie nights and core memories being made. 

-I took a leap and went on a women’s spiritual retreat (knowing only 1-2 ladies in attendance) and got baptized, something I had been praying long and hard about. 

-I took a much needed break from social media and gained clarity on what new directions I wanted to take on my entrepreneurial journey if/when I returned. 

-I got to watch my kids grow in confidence, leadership, and independence with their respective extracurricular activities and they even each tried a new sport. 

-I was the room mom for both kiddos’ classes and attended many class parties, field trips and was able to serve/volunteer in their classrooms. 

-So many prayers in my prayer journal were answered for my family and friends. 

-I started working more behind the scenes in a support role for entrepreneurs and took on 4 clients (aka I started building a new business....slowly).

-I started finding my voice when it came to advocating for my family and setting boundaries, which is hard for a people pleaser such as myself!

And the biggest blessing of 2024…

-On Christmas Day, we welcomed the most perfect addition to our family and I became a mom of 3. (SURPRISE!!)

Valleys:

-My acne/rosacea progressively got worse as the year went on, despite many interventions. 

-I had a health scare in March, resulting in a medical procedure requiring anesthesia (first time, but thankfully I received good news). 

-I stopped prioritizing personal development and for several months my mindset was in a negative, unfamiliar place. 

-I got burnt out with content creating, keeping up with the demands of the social media algorithm and had to take a step back from my business.  

-For a majority of the year I didn’t recognize myself in my own skin. Between my skin integrity issues with my face and my changing body with pregnancy, I felt like I was in limbo.

-Seint shifted away from direct sales to an affiliate program and I lost my income and also the team of over 150 women I lead for 6 years.

-Little sis had to have some dental work done which required months and getting multiple opinions to make sure we were comfortable with the treatment plan.

-I wasn’t able to contribute as much financially to my family as I had in previous years which weighed heavily on my mind.

I’m sure there are more hills and valleys to describe the year, but after sitting with these, processing them all, the reoccurring theme is nothing but gratitude to the good Lord above for seeing me through it all. However your 2024 was, I pray nothing but goodness and blessings for you stepping in to 2025.