We’ve officially turned another calendar page. Whether you’re shocked, surprised, ready, still full of cheese, excited, nervous, or already on your way, amidst the fireworks and fanfare, January has arrived. 

How will you greet 2025?

There are those of us jumping in with both feet, ready with our bucket lists, and resolutions to level up life. There are those in the throes of taking stock of what was and manifesting the heck out of dreams and goals for the next twelve months. And, there are those like Arthur C. Brooks, who aim for a reverse bucket list to lessen the wants and pay attention to what we already have: those intrinsic sources generated deep within us like a guiding light towards a more satisfied, content existence. 

Wherever you fall on these beginning days of that new chapter, know you have a say, you steer the ship, you decide how you show up—and that in itself is a powerful anthem with which to guide this new moment.

Years ago, I spent New Year’s Eve in Sydney, Australia. Under a starlit sky alight with zillions of fireworks sparkling, I rang in the new year beside thousands. There, I was in the new year; my family back in New York was still hours in the old. It was like hovering on the last page of a book mid-series wanting to close it and start the next, and still wondering how the heck we got here and deciphering the story on the previous pages. Those beside me in the land down under had arrived in that new book, cracked the seal, and jumped right in. 

Then, on that long journey back to the states, time shifted and I arrived before I left, almost again hovering between one closed cover and one yet to be opened. Those last few days of one and the beginnings of another—that space between—is daunting, telling, inspiring, and exciting. 

How do you meet the moment? 

Like that magical night in Sydney, I often find myself dancing between both worlds. We’ve more or less closed the book on 2024, yet the debriefing is still happening prior to the next year’s full launch. It’s kind of like putting that new book in the series on the nightstand, ready to dive into the next story yet still uncovering secrets and learning the plot twists of the previous one. Be it Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, or Wicked’s movie arrival, the best stories begin where the one before leaves off…yet there are always underpinnings of the early backstory along the journey and goodness knows how many plot twists yet to come. 

How do you delve between the worlds?

Recently, I’ve found myself focused on resilience, courage, contentment, growth, passions, and intrinsic happiness. In my quest for more joy, light, and overall satisfaction, I’ve noticed more how one’s struggles don’t determine the ending of the story, how where we begin often looks nowhere where we are now, how those glittery attachments society tells us we ‘should’ want don’t hold up to long-term joy, and how as our strengths shift, so do our views on how we wish to curate our lives. 

When we, as Oprah describes it, pay attention to the whispers, those inner voices that show up until we honor them, we learn. Listen. Even in the quiet, we really do know the way. 

Now we must find the courage to go on the adventure. 

Before we leap head-first into next, can we give ourselves a moment to observe, examine, and sit with whatever we’ve taken from 2024? Perhaps there are stepping stones moving us in the path we wish. Perhaps we’re proud of how far we’ve come, even if we’re unsteady on the trail forward. Perhaps we’ve noticed new directions we wish to pursue, boundaries we seek to instill, and passions we desire to stoke. Maybe we yearn to hug more, stay present more, or practice more gratitude for those everyday miracles. However we hope to shape our journey, look around before we leap, we may be astounded by the magic we see in the here and now. 

As you wander your way forward, we wish you joy.

Onward…to your next chapter.

4 Tips to help you decipher your way forward

Purple made green possible

Over two decades ago, Wicked captured my heart. It’s doing the same to millions right now. With a viral press junket and movie of epic proportions, look anywhere and you’ll see names of Elphaba, Glinda, and Fiyero. Onscreen, they’re wearing capes, gowns, and riding horses; off screen, they’re sharing their stories of struggle, belonging, and belief in themselves. Sitting next to each other, reaching for a supportive hand, allowing each to be seen and heard, and regularly lifting each other up with word and deed, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are everywhere—and each honors their connection to the characters they embody. 

Cynthia won a Tony for her work in The Color Purple, and along with sharing how closely she identifies with Elphaba’s story, she reminds listeners that without her first role in The Color Purple, she wouldn’t have had the opportunity to turn green. 

Journeys all have to start somewhere, the beginning rarely looks like the stops along the way, encouragement comes in all shapes and sizes, we have moments of stumbles and ones of grandeur, and there’s ALWAYS the possibility of a magical road ahead. 

Here’s your reminder to find your own war cry, and know deep down that “everyone deserves a chance to fly” (WICKED). 

Debt, determination, growth

Mel Robbin’s Let Them Theory is taking bookstores by storm. While she’s made her mark in law, radio, and as an author, speaker, and podcast host, this motivational change expert is riding a high point on a wave that has had massive lows. In her recent appearance on Oprah’s new podcast, her zest and excitement to meet the host was as powerful as many of her tips—a perfect example of being utterly grateful for the trajectory of her winding journey and that even motivational moguls are aware and elated when they’ve reached a personal milestone. 

Amidst her mission to empower viewers to create the life they wish, Robbins talks about immense debt, extreme anxiety, and her personal struggles. Her delivery is one of no nonsense, sass, and a whole host of warmth. 

While growth is at the heart of the science-backed research she uses and the experts with whom she shares, her accounts of her own journey remind listeners that whether you’re the one on stage or the audience participant, our behaviors, actions, and mindset can quite literally change are stars. At one point she was in mega debt; last week she talked to Oprah. Truly, anything is possible.

A pie far richer than pizza

Coaches, teachers, and intention setters are only some of the many who regularly take stock of where they are. Students have progress reports and businesses have quarterly assessments. And, in December, every self-help guru and influencer talks about resolutions, goal setting, and bucket lists. 

Positive psychology practitioners and life-coaches often use a life balance wheel to help focus that fuzzy vision for the future. 

Picture a pie chart, divided into areas of life. Use a static one or create your own, each section designed to denote the various dimensions of your life and your level of satisfaction today and their importance in the future. At a quick glance, you get a complete picture of where you are and where you wish to head. 

Your mindset, actions, intentions, and behaviors determine how you seek balance in your wheel of life. Meander accordingly; your story is yours to write.  

A golden moment

For years, in the world of gymnastics, Simone Biles has been a household name. Today, she’s a global force presently holding the title of Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year. As a teen, she bounded on scene, stunning even the most prolific athletes with moves never before attempted. She captured the world’s attention and held it for some time. Her personal story has a rocky beginning—and, like many, out of struggles, arose beauty. Yet, like even those of us who don’t have skills named after us and couldn’t even conceive of walking (no less flipping) on a balance beam, she’s navigated stumbles and had to do so on the world’s stage. Stepping away, saying no when the world screamed yes, relearning to fly, and putting the entire sports community on notice to say what worked before doesn’t work today…her grace, dignity, mental strength, fervor, and resilience glittered far beyond her sparkly hardware. 

She didn’t expect the twisties, she put in the work, dealt with the hurdles, and took stock of it all. 

Her storied comeback reminds us: don’t count yourself out, your power is immense, what you need matters more than society’s desires, gratitude and perseverance work wonders—and when you hit your marks, let your pride shine. 

Please click the photo below for a collection of my Through the Eyes of an Educator columns:

Stacey Ebert, our Educational Travels Editor, is a traveler at heart who met her Australian-born husband while on a trip in New Zealand. Stacey was an extracurricular advisor and taught history in a Long Island public high school for over fifteen years, enjoying both the formal and informal educational practices. After a one year 'round the world honeymoon, travel and its many gifts changed her perspective. She has since left the educational world to focus on writing and travel. She is energetic and enthusiastic about long term travel, finding what makes you happy and making the leap. In her spare time she is an event planner, yogi, dark chocolate lover, and spends as much time as possible with her toes in the sand.

Check out her website at thegiftoftravel.wordpress.com for more of her travel musings.