2025 Taught Me. 2026 Will Launch Me.
Before I talk about growth, evolution, or elevation, I need to name the truth of this year.
In 2025, I lost my father—unexpectedly.
And just a couple of months later, I gave birth to my daughter, Angel. I fought through probate court, postpartum ups and downs, and still had to show up for everyone in my life.
Grief and new life existed in the same season for me.
There was no pause button. No space to “process later.”
I had to show up while my heart was heavy.
I had to heal while my body was postpartum.
I had to nurture a new life while learning how to live with loss.
And somehow—slowly, imperfectly—I did.
Not because I was strong all the time, but because life kept moving, and I chose to move with it. Some days that looked like resilience. Other days it looked like rest. Both counted.
2025 didn’t just stretch me—it revealed me.
There was a time when I thought growth had to be loud.
Explosive.
Obvious to everyone watching.
But 2025 taught me something different.
Growth can be quiet.
Healing can be private.
Transformation doesn’t always announce itself—it reveals itself over time.
This year didn’t come with fireworks.
It came with truth.
What 2025 Gave Me
2025 was a year of unlearning as much as learning.
I learned that:
Not everyone deserves access to my inner world
Rest is not a reward—it’s a requirement
My nervous system tells the truth before my mouth ever does
Consistency matters more than intensity
I don’t have to explain my boundaries for them to be valid
Loving deeply was never my flaw—it was my power used in the wrong places
I looked back at some of my older words—older blog posts, older versions of myself—and I don’t cringe anymore.
I honor her.
She did the best she could with what she knew.
And because of her, I know more now.
The Biggest Shift
The biggest evolution wasn’t external.
It was internal.
I stopped abandoning myself to keep the peace.
I stopped shrinking my voice to avoid discomfort.
I stopped forcing timelines that weren’t aligned.
I learned that momentum doesn’t always look like movement.
Sometimes it looks like stillness with intention.
And sometimes, the bravest thing you can do is stay.
Why I’m Not Taking 2025 Lightly
2025 didn’t break me—it built me.
It sharpened my discernment.
It softened my heart without weakening my boundaries.
It taught me that healing isn’t linear, but it is honest.
Every tear.
Every pause.
Every pivot.
None of it was wasted.
Stepping Into 2026
2026 isn’t about starting over.
It’s about applying what I’ve learned.
This is the year I:
Move forward without looking back for permission
Trust myself the first time
Create without over-explaining
Build steadily, not desperately
Choose elevation over familiarity
Soar without guilt
I’m not carrying old versions of myself into this next chapter.
I’m carrying wisdom.
Unmuted, On Purpose
Catherine Unmuted isn’t just a brand.
It’s a declaration.
It means I show up as I am—soft and strong.
It means my voice matters, even when it shakes.
It means I don’t wait for clarity to begin—I begin, and clarity meets me.
So here’s to the girl I was.
Here’s to the woman I’m becoming.
And here’s to 2026—the year I stop preparing to fly and actually take off.
No more looking back.
No more dimming.
No more delay.
I’m ready!