My Year Reflections

Oh what a year, how lucky I am.

As I sit here at the end of the year, a year 9, a year of completion, clearing, and closing cycles, I can feel just how much has moved, shifted, and evolved. It has been one of those years that doesn’t always look loud on the outside, but internally it has been profound, stretching and softening me in equal measure. A year of thresholds. A year of returning to myself. A year that asked me not simply to keep going, but to deepen, refine, and rise in a quieter, more grounded way.

It’s only when I pause now that I can truly see the thread running through it all.

One of the biggest moments, of course, was stepping onto the TEDx stage.( watch the talk here) Even as I type those words, it still feels surreal. That red dot came alive, not as a dream of performance, but as a hope to share something meaningful, something true, something that could help someone re-write their story. Standing there, speaking about empowerment, grace, and the stories we tell ourselves, was equal parts terrifying and exhilarating. It stretched me in ways I didn’t know I needed. And it reminded me that soft power doesn’t require shouting; it asks us to stand rooted in our truth and let the rest unfold.

Not long after, I found myself featured in my local paper( read the article here ), another unexpected moment of being witnessed. The kind of thing you don’t plan, but when it arrives, you feel a quiet gratitude for all the tiny steps that led there. It was a reminder that our work ripples outwards even when we think no one is really watching.

This year also held a beautiful deepening with Finding Grace, the podcast ( listen here )that continues to be one of my greatest joys. The conversations have grown richer, more meaningful, more aligned. Each guest brings their own wisdom, but what connects every episode is the shared thread of truth, humanity, and the permission to show up as we are. I often say that the podcast teaches me just as much as it supports listeners, and this year, that felt more true than ever. I’ve learned about resilience, healing, creativity, self-trust… and, most importantly, the beauty of authentic connection.

“Grace” has been the quiet teacher of my year, in my writing, in my voice, in the evolution of the book that continues to take shape behind the scenes. There were moments where the words flowed, and moments where they hid in the corners, inviting me to slow down, listen, and trust that the timing would reveal itself. This book feels like a companion, a living thing growing alongside me, and I know it is becoming exactly what it needs to be.

My SubStack, Notes on Grace, ( read here )also unfolded in new and surprising ways. The community there has felt intimate and tender, a place where I can share the real, unpolished parts of my journey as well as the reflections that come through when I’m paying deeper attention. Watching it grow this year, slowly and organically, has reminded me that connection is built one honest offering at a time.

And woven through all of this has been the quiet reality of navigating my health, the ebb and flow, the resilience, the recalibration. It has softened me. Strengthened me. Grounded me. And it has continually brought me back to what truly matters.

Looking back, this year feels like a clearing. A gentle ending. A closing of chapters I no longer need to carry. Year 9 energy has been strong, asking me to release, to trust the falling away, to stand in the liminal space before the new cycle begins.

As we step into the next year, I’m not rushing to set goals or force clarity. I’m honouring the stillness. I’m honouring what this year has taught me. And I’m honouring the truth that beginnings often come quietly, on soft feet. We are beginning a year 1 collectively in numerology so a new 9 year cycle is beginning, you of course will have a personal year I recommend finding this out, as its great for planning, intentions and mostly understanding yourself and patterns and themes in your life.

Here’s to what has been, what has healed, and what’s ready to rise. ( check out my Instagram here )

Here’s to finding grace, again and again.

I’d love to hear from you, about your year reflections, how you are feeling? Share with me here.

May your next year ahead be one that’s just right for you.

All my love

Hannah X