24: Gratitude, Growth, and Letting Go

I am 24.Wild.

The life I have is far from what I ever imagined, which I think is true for most people. When I look back on this past year, the moments that stand out most aren’t the easy ones. I ma drawn to the ones that stretched me beyond recognition. Moving away from my family to Orlando. Working at a Children’s Advocacy Center. Spending a week as a camp counselor for kids who’ve survived domestic violence. Leading and joining teams for the first time. Each experience was its own mix of accomplishment, discomfort, and learning the hard way.

What I Learned

This year I learned I’m far more capable than I ever give myself credit for, but also that there’s a reason behind why I am the way I am. I’ve been doing what I call the “heart work”. Meeting the versions of myself that show up as protectors: the overachiever, the people pleaser, the black-and-white thinker. They once kept me safe, but now they sometimes hold me back. This year, I began saying goodbye to those old protectors so I can make space for the version of me that’s ready to build the life I want.

The Moment I’d Relive

If I could relive one moment, it would be at Camp Hope when the kids I’d spent the week with wrapped their arms around me and thanked me for being so caring. I sobbed. That was pure, unfiltered gratitude. I felt authentically me. I’ve been chasing that feeling ever since.

Gratitude

I am most grateful for my fiancé. For two and a half years, he’s been my grounding force, healing things he never broke, making sacrifices few would understand, and holding me through every tear. Even when he doesn’t fully understand what’s wrong, he always finds a way to make me laugh again. He’s a big part of why I’m able to do all that I do and why I want to keep growing.

Showing Up for Myself

This year, I didn’t quit. I didn’t run away. When things got hard and I wanted to abandon ship, I stayed. I didn’t switch programs, I didn’t drop roles, I didn’t give up on myself. I figured it out. That’s something I’m deeply proud of. What carried me through was my belief that I am here because others poured into me, and I dedicate my life to doing the same for others. That sense of purpose fuels everything I do.

Letting Go

I’m ready to release the need to do it all. My overachieving nature once made me feel worthy, but now I see it for what it is—exhausting. I’ve learned that saying no isn’t wasteful; it’s necessary. I want to do fewer things, but do them well. I’m also letting go of the expectation that I need to have it all figured out. My dreams are allowed to evolve, to shift, to surprise me.

Looking Forward

Success this year looks like showing up for my village and myself. Cooking dinner more often. Doing laundry before it’s dire. Prioritizing and being selective of experiences that fill me, not just obligations that drain me. I want to celebrate myself not through constant achievement, but through appreciation. To look at past versions of me and say: thank you for getting me here, but I’ll take it from here.

A Note to Future Me

If next year’s version of me could say one thing, I hope it’s this: Thank you for finally releasing yourself from the chokehold of your past. For choosing freedom over fear. For doing the heart work. For choosing balance, joy, and peace. For doing less, and being more.