Tending the Fire: Honoring the Past
Haaaappppyyyyy New Year, friends! I hope this first week of 2026 has been treating you and yours well. And if it hasn’t, well, that’s shitty and I’m sorry. I hope ease and joy find their way to you soon.
As we all know, the new year can (sometimes) bring a sense of freshness, resetting, and extra oomph for goal-setting. Sadly, what often gets missed is the very meaningful step of acknowledging the many parts of you that lived through the year before. We can be so quick to jump into what’s next, that we forget to honor what was.
So before we hop to vision boards and action plans for 2026, lets take a moment to reflect on and acknowledge the selves we were in 2025, shall we?
How about we get creative and make a reflection board? It’s like a vision board, but instead of looking forward, we acknowledge where we’ve been. There are maannyy questions we could ask when reflecting on the year-- here are a few that tend to come up and resonate in sessions.
What is an experience in 2025 that…
You’re relieved is over?
Makes you proud of yourself?
You’re grieving as the year closes?
Led to a habit you’ve picked up and enjoy?
You have (or need to) forgive yourself for?
Calls for celebration?
Since this is coming your way digitally, I’m going to make a digital reflection board with pictures from the year and a brief description. Here goes…
Phew! I’m not gonna lie, that was a journey! I scrolled through pictures from the year to help jog my memory (and avoid only focusing on recent stuff) and it brought an array of emotions forward. Not all of them are comfortable to be with, but they all deserve honoring. A thread that stands out as I reflect on the reflection board (double reflection? reflection squared?), is listening to my needs. It’s a work in progress, and I see that progress in this board. I will take this with me into the next year.
What about you, dearest reader? Might reflecting on and honoring yourself from 2025 be a helpful start to 2026? What stands out to you from the year? What learnings are you bringing with you, and what experiences are calling for release?
Perhaps you use the questions I offered, or your own. As for the format of the reflection board, I went with digital piccies and written word, but maybe you’d rather do some doodling, collaging, or dancing? You do you, boo. Just be sure to bring your self-compassion and grace— this is an exercise in acknowledging, not judgment.
I don’t need to see your board to know one thing is true: you have had a full year. There have been moments of joy and moments of sorrow. Times when you trusted yourself and others sheathed in self-doubt. You have been energized, and exhausted, and probably everything in between. I know this because you are human. A glorious, complex, multifaceted human. I wish for you appreciation of the version(s) of you that have come before, and spaciousness for that which is to come next.
And while I may not *need* to see your board to know a few things, there is obviously SO much I don’t know and would be honored to witness. If you would like to have your 2025 reflection seen, I would be delighted to receive. Send it my way. <3
With warmth and gratitude for our past and future selves,
Shannah 🤍
Nurtured Founder & Coach
Our reflections and learnings can be powerful when shared. If you would like a fellow explorer to look back at this past year with you, I would be honored to join you. Let’s get in touch.