Look How Far You Have Come: A Gentle Reflection On This Year
Salute to Wellness – Year End Series, Week 1
There’s a moment every December when the world feels both fast and quiet at the same time.
The days are short, the to-do lists are long, and yet… there’s this small, steady whisper asking us to pause.
To breathe.
To look back with softer eyes.
Today, I want to invite you into that moment with me.
Not to judge yourself.
Not to fix anything.
Just to gently acknowledge the truth that is so easy to miss until you slow down enough to see it.
You have come further than you think.
This Year Was Not Wasted…Even If It Felt Messy
I say this often inside Salute to Wellness, but I want to say it again here because it matters:
progress is rarely loud.
It rarely looks like the dramatic before-and-after stories we see online.
Most of the time, it’s quiet. Human. Imperfect. Tender.
This year held a lot for me personally, and for this little corner of the internet we share.
There were seasons of clarity and seasons of confusion.
There were ideas that blossomed beautifully… and others that changed shape or needed to rest for awhile.
But when I look at the year as a whole, I see movement.
I see growth.
I see alignment, even in the chapters that didn’t go the way I imagined.
Salute to Wellness grew in ways I didn’t expect this year.
I created new guides and meal plans.
I refined my message again and again until it felt true in my bones.
I supported more women who were tired, overwhelmed, or craving peace than I ever have before.
And I found my own grounding right alongside them.
It wasn’t perfect.
But it was real.
And that matters more.
Why We Struggle To See Our Own Progress
If you’ve ever reached the end of a year and thought,
“I should have done more,”
I want you to know: you are not alone.
Our brains are wired to notice what we didn’t do.
What didn’t get finished.
What didn’t change fast enough.
What didn’t live up to the vision we had in January.
But that lens leaves out everything that carried you forward quietly…
the small choices, the gentle shifts, the tiny acts of care that supported you through difficult days.
Your progress may not have been loud, but it was happening.
In moments like…
choosing a nourishing meal when you were tired
going to bed a little earlier
saying no to something you knew would drain you
giving yourself permission to rest without guilt
showing up for yourself even when it was hard
These small moments are the ones that add up to real change.
You deserve to honor them.
A Gentle Year End Reflection
Before we explore where we’re going next, I want to help you acknowledge where you’ve been.
Here are a few soft prompts to sit with…maybe with a warm drink, maybe with a cozy blanket, maybe with your hands simply resting in your lap.
Let yourself answer without judgment.
1. What is one way I care for myself now that I wasn’t doing a year ago?
It might be tiny. That’s okay. Tiny counts.
2. What did I learn about my body, energy, or emotions this year?
Every lesson is a step toward knowing yourself more deeply.
3. Where did I show up for myself even when I were tired, discouraged, or unsure?
Let this be your proof that you are stronger and softer than you realize.
If writing feels overwhelming, just choose one question.
If answering feels emotional, that’s normal.
This is tender work.
What I’m Carrying Forward
As I sit with my own reflections, I feel gratitude…for you, for this community, and for the way Salute to Wellness continues to grow into something more grounded, more supportive, and more aligned with the gentle healing journey I’m on myself.
Next year, I’ll be expanding the offerings that bring you calm and clarity, creating more nourishing resources, and giving you even more tools to help you feel like yourself again.
But for now, we’re simply pausing.
Breathing.
Noticing.
Honoring.
You’ve walked through so much this year.
You’ve grown in ways you haven’t even fully realized yet.
And I want you to feel proud of that…deeply, quietly proud.
If no one has told you this lately:
You made it through a year that asked a lot of you.
You took steps forward…even if they were small, even if no one else saw them.
You are allowed to acknowledge your progress with gentleness and grace.
And whatever next year brings, you won’t be walking into it empty.
You’re carrying wisdom.
Strength.
Softness.
Experience.
And a deeper knowing of what your body and heart truly need.
Thank you for being here with me.
Thank you for letting Salute to Wellness be part of your journey.
We’re just getting started.
xx, Diana
