"I honor where I've been and who I was before I step into where I'm going and who I'm becoming."
OLD MINDSET: New year, new me. Leave the past behind.
NEW MINDSET: I honor where I've been before I step into where I'm going.
The difference? One dismisses your journey. The other honors it. One creates pressure to become someone different, and the other creates space to evolve from who you already are. You're not starting from scratch in 2026, fab fam. You're starting from experience, from resilience, and from wisdom. Reflection is how you ensure you're not bringing old patterns into new chapters. This isn't about dwelling on the past. It's about making peace with it so you can move forward freely.
💌 Fab at Fifty Plus: Your Midlife Love Letter
Issue No. 17 – Wednesday, December 31st, 2025
Hey Fab Fam,
Everyone’s rushing toward midnight—toward a fresh start and a clean slate.
But can we pause for a second?
Before we pop the champagne, I want to talk about the old year. This one. The one that’s ending in less than 24 hours.
Because how can we truly step into something new if we haven’t properly honored what was?
✨ First, Let’s Celebrate What Was
2025, you’ve been messy and beautiful. Heartbreaking and hopeful. Sometimes all in the same day.
I’ve screwed up a lot in 2025, but here’s what I’m celebrating:
I kept showing up. Even on the days I wanted to hide. Even when the voice in my head said I was too old, too late, too much, or not enough. Even when I was disappointed in myself.
I asked for what I wanted. Not perfectly. But more than I have in years. I stopped waiting for permission and started giving it to myself.
I let people see me. The real me. The messy, uncertain, still-figuring-it-out me. And the world didn’t end. It got better.
I started learning who I was in my eyes and not the eyes of others.
These aren’t news-worthy accomplishments, but they’re mine, and they matter.
🌿 Now, Let’s Get Grateful
This year gave me lessons disguised as failures, connections that reminded me I’m not alone, and evidence that it’s never too late.
What about you?
What did this year give you that you almost overlooked?
The friend who checked in at exactly the right moment
The strength you didn’t know you had
The resilience you built quietly, behind the scenes
Take a moment. Write it down. Let yourself feel genuine gratitude for what 2025 gave you—even the hard stuff that made you stronger.
🪞 Then, Let’s Look in the Mirror
Here’s where we get honest.
I’ve been asking myself:
What patterns did I repeat that I don’t want to carry forward? Playing small, apologizing for taking up space, and waiting for external validation.
What beliefs did I operate from that aren’t actually true? That my worth is tied to productivity. That wanting more is selfish. That I’ve “missed my window.”
What did I tolerate that I need to stop tolerating? Treating myself with less kindness than I’d treat a stranger. Shrinking to make others comfortable.
What do I need to forgive myself for? The days I didn’t show up as my best self. The times fear won. I’m human. I’m learning.
🕯️ What Stays & What Goes
Here’s my practice for today:
December 31: Gratitude + Release
Morning: Write down everything I’m grateful for from 2025. The big stuff and the tiny moments.
Afternoon: Write down what I need to leave behind—patterns, beliefs, behaviors, stories. Then literally let them go. Burn the paper. Rip it up. Do whatever feels like release.
Night: Celebrate not just what’s coming but what was. Who I was and how far I’ve come.
💛 Your Turn, Fab Fam
Take out two pieces of paper.
On the first, write:
What I’m celebrating from 2025
What I’m grateful this year taught me
Who I became that I want to honor
On the second, write:
What patterns I’m leaving behind
What beliefs I’m releasing
What I’m no longer available for
Keep the first one. Put it somewhere you can see it.
The second one? Let it go. Release it. Make space.
Because you can’t truly embrace the new until you’ve properly honored the old.
The new year will be here soon enough. But first—let’s celebrate this one. Let’s get grateful. Let’s look honestly at ourselves.
And then let’s step into 2026 with clear eyes, full hearts, and empty hands.
You’ve earned this moment of reflection. Take it.
Before you step into 2026, remember this: You've survived 100% of your hardest days so far. You've grown in ways you probably haven't even acknowledged yet. You've become someone worth celebrating. Take today to honor that woman properly. She deserves it. You deserve it.
