If you’d told me last December where my life would land by the end of 2025, I would’ve laughed. Out loud. Possibly snorted. 🙃
I had a vision. Goals. Work ethic. Dreams bigger than my daily energy reserves… and honestly, bigger than my nervous system ever approved. 🧠⚠️
THE HONEST TRUTH ABOUT THIS YEAR 🧠✨
This year had ups, downs, and more sideways detours than a GPS that lost cell service and confidence. 🗺️😵💫 And yet…
I’ve never been more exhausted — the good kind. Not the “this requires medical intervention” exhaustion. The “I gave this year everything I had” kind. And I’ve never been more proud of myself.
Everything I did this year revolved around three words that get me out of bed even when pain and fatigue are loudly filing formal complaints:
KEEP MOVING FORWARD.
Not elegantly. Not quietly. Sometimes literally rolling. 🦽💨
WHAT I’M MOST PROUD OF IN 2025 🧠💥
🎤 Built a real, sustainable professional keynote speaking business (QQ Adventures LLC — yes, QQ stands for Quirky Quad)
📘 Published my first book, Unbreakable(ish): I Wasn’t Built for Boring + Book launch
✍️ Wrote my second book, The Art of Being Pleasantly Persistent (coming January 2026)
🌍 Spoke on stages in front of thousands and locked into my true future purpose
🧠 Developed three signature keynotes blending neuroscience, humor, and storytelling
✈️ Traveled extensively for work and joy — Europe, Switzerland, Germany, Key West (repeat offender)
❤️ Continued building a beautiful life with my partner and making real future plans
🦽 Helped families navigating life after spinal cord injury — insurance, systems, love, reality
🤝 Donated ~20% of my workweek to nonprofit boards and startups
⚕️ Partnered with multinational healthcare companies to advance health equity
🪂 And yes… skydiving. Still undefeated as the best decision of the year. To be repeated enthusiastically in 2026.
THE MOMENT THAT STOPPED ME COLD 🧠🧱
Reading this list out loud, I had a thought that genuinely surprised me:. “Oh my goodness… this is my life.”
Not an easy one. But one I built — deliberately and imperfectly — brick by brick over the last decade. And here’s something I’ve never said before, anywhere:
If something were to happen to me tomorrow — God forbid — I’d be okay. Proud of the work. The relationships. The moments. The meaning. That realization alone made this year worth it.
LOOKING AHEAD 🧠⚡
I have no idea what 2026 holds. But I do know this: I’ll keep showing up. I’ll keep telling the truth. And I’ll keep laughing — especially when life gets weird, inconvenient, or aggressively uncooperative.
Because life is short. Bodies are unpredictable. Plans are flexible. And if you can’t laugh at yourself along the way… you’re missing half the point. 😅✨