Happy New Year! ✨

May 2025 bring blessings your way

Dear friend and reader, I wanted to take this opportunity to wish you a wonderful New Year’s celebration and a 2025 filled with peace, love, joy, vibrant health and abundance. You deserve it.

2024 Reflection

This year has flown by and the sense I get, if I were to sum up 2024 for the collective, is that this has been a year of endings. You may have experienced some endings or closed off some chapters in your life in 2024 (like I have), but regardless of what this year had in store for you, I hope you can remember the good times and, if nothing else, the lessons and growth.

Looking Ahead

As we stand at the precipice of a brand new calendar year, we are filled with hope for the future. Perhaps some fear and uncertainty too. Yet I always find that this time of year holds a magic of brand new beginnings and opportunities.

For last year’s words belong to last year’s language. And next year’s words await another voice.

- T.S. Eliot

Just like 2024 marked a lot of endings, 2025 feels like it will be a year for powerful new beginnings for all of us. I personally believe it will be a significant year. One we may remember for a long time. What we must bear in mind during this time of uncertainty on the world stage is that new beginnings, though beautiful and necessary, can be messy. It’s important to zoom out to see the bigger picture. We are on the right track.

Set Your Intention

Whether you have new year’s resolutions or not, it can be a meaningful practice to set your intentions for the new year ahead. What I find a lot more helpful than setting tangible goals is to set intentions on how I wish to feel, who I wish to be and what I wish to contribute to. After all, the tangible results are not something that are directly in our control. What we can control however, is our own feeling states, our own being and the contribution we make to the world around us.

Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbours, and let every new year find you a better man

- Benjamin Franklin

I therefore invite you to reflect on, not what you wish to achieve in 2025, but rather on how you would like to feel and who you wish to become. This is something that is within your control and that no one can take away from you. They are also the seed to all your tangible goals.

New Year’s Eve

However you are celebrating NYE is perfect. There can often be a lot of pressure to have some cool NYE plans. I have to admit that my favourite way to spend this day has been in quiet contemplation. Perhaps a nice dinner party at home with close friends or even a day to myself to reflect on the year that’s been and to be present to welcome in the new one. In the past I often felt pressured to go to a party or have fun plans, but the last time I went to a NYE party I didn’t end up getting to bed until 4am and that’s just not my idea of a good time!

I personally want to start the new year refreshed, rested and ready and that means going to bed no later than 1am. That’s just me and I own it. However you want to celebrate is perfect for you. Just make sure that it’s what you really want, not what you feel you ‘should’ be doing. If you too are an early night introvert, I see you!

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Being Introverted in an Extroverted World

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Thank You

Lastly, I wanted to express my gratitude for you dear friend and reader! When 2024 began I had never heard of Substack. I had been planning on starting a blog called Ignite Presence since the beginning of 2023 and had everything ready to go when I discovered Substack this summer.

Wow! What an amazing platform and what a heartwarming community I have found here. A place to express oneself truthfully and authentically without holding back and to connect with likeminded deep thinkers and feelers.

It’s safe to say that starting Ignite Presence here on Substack has been one of the highlights of my year. Thank you for reading, commenting, liking and sharing. Most importantly, thank you for being a part of it. Thank you for your presence. It’s truly appreciated. 💛

I look forward to sharing more thought provoking articles and poetry in 2025 and some music covers too.

I’d love to hear from you if you have any topics you would like me to write about. Just hit reply to this email or send me a message in the app.

And with that I wish you a beautiful New Year in 2025 where you get closer to who you truly are and what you wish to contribute to.

Sending peace and love your way ✨

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