Happy New Year - are you OK though?

Is it just me, or was this a weird year?

I will be honest, when I sat down to write this newsletter and thought about how 2025 and all the things that happened made me feel reflecting back on them, these words came to mind:

Chaotic.

Strange.

A lot.

Weird.

Confusing.

Much too much.

*so stunned I didn’t actually find words.*

and the last expression that I personally think sums it up the best is:

Wait what?*

*Spoken in a slightly higher pitch and using a facial expression that activates every single muscle from the neck up.

What was it that informed these word-feelings?

Well, let’s just take a look at some of the things that happened in 2025:

• It started with a whole city being on fire pretty much exactly a year ago, countless homes were burned to the ground during the LA fires, sending apocalyptic images across the globe.

• The US government did what so many of our nervous systems got dangerously close to doing through the early 2025 news cycle alone: shut down.

• Glimpses of hope surfaced when a Gen Z led political upheaval in Nepal led to actual change by forcing their Prime Minister into resigning. Whut?

• Also, let’s not forget (or actually maybe we should), Katy Perry went to space??

• The pope is American and would surely support Coldplay’s new side hustle of exposing adultery live during their shows.

• And just when you think this year could not get any more unhinged, the Louvre gets robbed by some masked dudes who get away on scooters. Like??

• Lastly, while it’s devastating to say, this wasn’t a unique thing to 2025: I can’t write this list without acknowledging that we still live in world dominated by wars in much too many places.

And if you’re reading this newsletter, chances are your life is thankfully not painted by such tragic intensity that comes with being in a war-torn country. However, what does it say about us as a society that so many of us (including myself sometimes) have opted out of merely wanting to be exposed to news at all?

I mean this list is far from comprehensive, was put together by a quick search online and while I am typing this, I can’t help but think:

What the actual F is this world?

Which led me to the most important question:

How could we expect anyone to be a well-balanced, well-regulated, consistently hydrated and nourished human being when this 👆🏻 is just a fraction of the reality we live in?

Let that just sink in for a second. Is this really our "normal"?

But maybe it doesn’t count because we just started a new year so we can pretend that none of the above happened or even had the slightest impact on us because our new year's resolutions are going to save us and it’s only up from here. Right?*

*Excuse the sarcasm.

NO.

No, no, no…

So here it is, I am finally getting to the point:

If you feel the urge to set a new year's resolution, don’t.

One, because there is so much science showing that it doesn’t work anyway and two, you can’t move forward without looking back first.

This is your invitation to take a moment and just sit with what 2025 brought us collectively, you and your own social circle, and you personally.

So, the main question I want to ask you (or want you to ask yourself) about 2025 is:

Are you OK?

It’s more than fine to sit with whatever comes up for a while even if we’re already in January. And then, only then, after looking back you’ll arrive, not at your resolutions no, in the present moment.

You’ll arrive here.

Here and now.

What’s that like? How do you feel?

Maybe you have to go back to work tomorrow after this long holiday break. Does that stir up any feelings in you?

What are they?

Here's a radical idea:

How about we learn how to be present and sit in our feelings right now before we go off and make plans for the future like everyone on the internet is telling us to?

And no, there’s nothing wrong with goal setting, but let’s not set goals from the same energy we came from and drag it on into the next year. (Because…you read that list up there right?)

Plus, I am willing to bet that you already have been DOING YOUR BEST !!

Don’t let yourself be pressured into some change that doesn’t come from a true place of alignment within yourself…

And yes, it can be really hard to find that place, especially when you risk feeling paralyzed immediately after picking up your phone and feel pulled in a million different directions.

It’s possible to find that place.

It’s already there within you. Sure that might sound cheesy but it’s also really, really true.

I know, because that’s the exact kind of work I get to do with beautiful humans, just like you!

Love,

Mel

💕

Ps. All my newsletters are written by me, not AI (so please flag the typos). 😉

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