If you were to sit down and write out every thought that crosses your mind in a day, what do you think you’d see? 

Would it be full of encouragement, love, and positivity? 

Or would it lean towards criticism, self-doubt, and fear?

For many of us, our internal dialogue operates like a background hum, so constant that we don’t even notice it. But that hum matters.

Last year tested me in ways I couldn’t have imagined.

I was drowning in more credit card debt than I could emotionally handle. I felt like I had become a terrible teacher—I wanted to quit my job every single day. Anxiety attacks would hit me out of nowhere, leaving me unable to breathe, think, or cope.

It got so bad that my husband encouraged me to have a mental health assessment. He had every reason to suggest it. On a Saturday in April, I told him I wanted a divorce. By the following morning, I’d decided I couldn’t go through with it.

What followed was a season of reckoning.

We’re living in such an interesting time—a time when the world can feel like it’s crumbling around us. Yet somehow, as a queer man raising a gender non-conforming kid, I find myself the most confident, calm, and optimistic I’ve ever been.

But it wasn’t always this way.

After the 2016 election, I was a mess. I thought my life was over. I didn’t want to get out of bed and had endless conversations about what it might look like to flee the country. Today, I’m still deeply aware of what’s happening in the world, but I no longer live in those stories every moment.

So, how have I found harmony in the chaos? It didn’t happen overnight, and it didn’t come through avoidance or distraction. It came through diving into some of the darkest places within myself.

The beginning of the year is a time when many of us think about goals for the year—those well-intentioned resolutions. The word “resolution” comes from the Latin word resolvere, meaning “to loosen” or “to resolve.” Unfortunately, many resolutions end up loosening their grip on us by February.

If you’ve ever found yourself abandoning a gym membership or reverting to old habits just weeks after setting new goals, you’re not alone. I’ve been there, too. But the good news is, it doesn’t have to be that way.

As we approach the end of the year, I’ve been reflecting on 2024—the lessons it taught me, the themes that emerged, and the growth I experienced. Each year brings its own unique challenges and opportunities, and taking time to reflect is one of the most powerful ways to step into the new year with clarity and intention.

Here are some key themes that stood out for me this year:

On the mat this morning, I reflected on the biggest lessons I’ve learned in yoga—lessons that have spilled over into how I approach life itself.

Let me start by saying that working out has always carried a lot of complex baggage for me. If you had told me a year and a half ago that any form of exercise could profoundly impact my mindset and emotional well-being, I wouldn’t have believed you. So, if you feel skeptical reading this, that’s okay. Keep reading anyway—something here might light a spark for you.