2025 Reflection

2025 Reflection: Learning to Slow Down, Feel, and Stay

Career: Changing a Job, Finding Space

Changing my role wasn’t something I chose—and that mattered. For the first time in my life, a door closed without my consent. What surprised me wasn’t the fear, but the calm. I felt lighter. Still grieving, still frustrated, still questioning my worth—but also honest.

The job search humbled me. Rejection after rejection forced me to confront something uncomfortable:
I can do the work, but I don’t want to perform a version of myself just to be chosen.

At the same time, I rediscovered something I’d quietly buried for years—my pull toward leadership that’s human, not positional. Coaching. Teaching. Writing. Helping people “start where they are,” not where they think they should be.

Ironically, after months of doubt, patience, and surrender, I landed where I needed to be—not just employed, but aligned enough to support my family while continuing to explore who I’m becoming.

Health: Endurance as a Mirror

Training for and finishing a full Ironman changed me—not because it made me extreme, but because it taught me moderation with discipline.

I didn’t train perfectly. I wasn’t fast. I wasn’t heroic.
But I listened. I adapted. I kept going.

Ironman didn’t give me answers—it showed me the truth:

• Slow is fast

• Preparation matters more than talent

• You don’t quit because it’s hard—you quit when you forget why you started

And maybe most importantly: finishing something hard doesn’t complete you—it reveals you.

Family: The Real Curriculum

If 2025 taught me anything, it’s that leadership starts at home.

From birthday trips and zoo days to hard parenting moments I regret, I learned that being present matters more than being right. That apologizing matters. That explaining courage to a crying child matters.

The notes my son wrote me. The conversations about kidneys, bravery, success. Watching my kids learn to ride bikes without training wheels. Learning—again—that every person needs different coaching. These moments weren’t side stories. They were the point.

God: Faith, Meaning, and Being “Average”

I spent a lot of time questioning big ideas:

• Why do we glorify extremes?

• Why does success always come from rock bottom stories?

• What’s wrong with being consistent, average, and present?

I no longer believe life is about becoming the 1%.
I believe it’s about becoming 1% better, consistently, without losing yourself.

Faith returned quietly—not through certainty, but through surrender. Asking for guidance instead of control. Trusting that showing up with honesty is enough for today.

Personal note: 2025 is one heck of a year. I laugh, cry, think, and act. I enjoyed the G.E.M and Jimmy O. Yang shows. I cried about the changes in my job. I thought a lot about my life and the purpose of being human. I did hard things such as completing my first Ironman event.