Reflecting on 2024 feels surreal—it’s been a year of deep growth, transformation, and alignment. But before diving into this year, I need to briefly touch on 2023. Last year was a rock bottom moment. It was a year of redefining every part of my life: who I was, how I showed up, and what no longer served me. While 2023 felt heavy and disorienting, it laid the groundwork for everything I’ve built this year.

January to March: The Uproot
This year started with big shifts. My partner and I decided to reconnect and that meant it was time for a total transformation.  We currently refer to this as "2.0," which means not just reconnecting but we needed a complete change in environment (you can't heal where you got sick), so we uprooted our lives. We moved to a new neighborhood and completely changed our lifestyle. While the environment shift was empowering, I was still in a 9-to-5 job that didn’t light me up.

I kicked off the New Year with a bang - January 6th, I earned my clinical license after 2 years of hard work and long hours (and over 15 years as a social worker). It felt like validation for years of hard work, but also a sign to start stepping into the next phase of my life. Even though I was still stuck in a job I had outgrown, I was actively taking steps toward my coaching dreams—learning, growing, and making actionable steps for change.

March: Said yes to a beautiful trip of a lifetime to Lake Louise & Banff, Canada with a longtime friend, Jenny. She was gracious enough to include me on a package she already had.  Talk about a manifestation!! 

April to June: Expansion and Inspiration
I had been a 'no' person for as long as I could remember.  Playing it 'safe' was keeping me safe...but small. I flipped the script and began to say “yes” to things that nourished my soul. In May, I attended the Shine the Light conference (something I've never done before) that was a gathering of lightworkers, astrologers, and healers. It was there that I first encountered Brittany Carmichael. Her energy and words lit a fire within me, and by the time she finished her talk and walked off stage, I had already purchased a ticket for her Summer SOULstice day retreat in June.

The retreat was transformational on so many levels, but one of the most profound experiences was my first true practice of breathwork. Guided by Ava Johanna, my (now) coach and mentor through the Academy of Breath, I felt a shift that was absolutely life-changing. That experience marked the beginning of my deeper connection to myself, my purpose, and business goals.

July to September: Bold Moves, Hard Lessons
July 5th I turned 40 - and leaned into my birthday hard.  This was healing because I've carried a birthday wound since forever - more on that another time - and took a family trip a few days later to 30A, Florida, which felt especially special because of our 2.0 reset.  It was such a good time - my kids LOVE the beach.  

In August, I made the boldest move of the year: I quit my 9-to-5 job and went all-in on coaching. It felt freeing, but life has a funny way of testing you. Just as I stepped into my dream, I got sick. Like real sick to where you don't feel normal again for 3 weeks.  I found myself (again) facing an old wound—the belief that my worth is tied to productivity. I quit my job so naturally I felt scared that if I'm not out of the gate productive then I'm going to fail and 'what am I even doing anyway'?!  (<-- This monkey in my ear stayed till the end of the year). Slowing down to rest felt unnatural, but it taught me to value integration and reflection just as much as action.  Integration is a key component to lasting change.  

I also began training as a breathwork practitioner through the Academy of Breath. It’s been a beautiful, challenging journey. Breathwork has called to me for over a year, but resistance kept me from diving in. Now, I see that resistance as a sign of how transformative it will be for me and my clients.

**Looking back, I realize I had been “pinged” to start breathwork a full year earlier. In 2023, I remember pulling up to my therapist’s office and hearing a clear, intuitive nudge: Breathwork. You need to start breathwork. But I ignored it. I have had this inner knowing that I was being called to breathwork and have had so much resistance around it!  Real talk, I still do, but that just means that I'm doubling down and going all frickin in by joining the Advanced Practitioners Training next year!  WOO HOO!!   Here’s the thing: when you don’t listen to those intuitive pings, they don’t derail your life entirely—but they also don’t go away. They keep coming back, whispering, nudging, until you take action. Breathwork was one of those breadcrumbs leading me to my purpose, and I can’t stress this enough: listen to your pings. Follow the little sparks of creativity. Follow the breadcrumbs. That’s how you find your purpose and uncover your gifts. Anyhoo, I digress. 

Then, in September (Friday the 13th), my book officially published. A manifestation of mine since I began manifestation work in 2020 and what should have been a triumphant moment turned into a(nother) shadow trigger. The first batch of books I received had printing errors in the illustrations. Talk about a FREAK OUT moment.  It reignited deep fears and a very old limiting belief of 'I'm dumb, so of course this won't work out for me'. But instead of letting those fears paralyze me, I worked through them, and went into action immediately. I got the errors fixed (none of the flawed copies ever made it to stores), but the experience made me pause and sit with my feelings.  Outing a quick shadow: I was called to share online that this happened, and how tests and triggers happen, even when in alignment, but I never ended up doing that - she here it is.  

Also in September, I healed my visibility would.  This is the second blog post that I've shared a life-changing experience in my EMDR training course - interesting!  I am a HUGE EMDR believer, in case that isn't clear.  In training, Amber led me through an EMDR session on my fear of showing up online.  Like most fears, it was deep rooted in my childhood and how unsafe I felt to be myself.  I was a master chameleon, ever changing my thoughts, beliefs, and interests to match what was "acceptable" to my group of friends...so that I was loved.  Attunement, or the lack there of also played a large roll in this.  When you're not attuned to as a kid, you grow up wondering who the fuck you are.  Before this session, I only BARELY felt comfortable posting a still-shot photo, reposting encouraging or informational memes and I paniced at the thought of doing a video -- would DIE at the thought of dancing or act silly in any way.  Well, so long wound, because I post regular videos and one of my most watched reel is me ridiculously dancing in an even more ridiculous yin-yang jumpsuit.  Thanks, Amber! 

October to December: Alignment and Clarity
In a blink of a twinkling eye - the last quarter of the year flew by, but it was filled with purpose. I doubled down on clarifying my message, honing my vision, and taking intentional steps toward my dreams. 

October: I went to Miami with one of my favorites to see Taylor Swift for the 2nd time - huge Swiftie 🙋🏼‍♀️.  It was a weekend of laughter, for sure.  Feel very blessed.  Shortly after, I took another huge leap of faith in myself & the Universe and booked Bry Penny to do a branding photoshoot with.  Man, this was scary.  Not only have I told myself that I'm not photogenic my whole life, this triggered my other prominent limiting belief of "I'm ugly".  (Dumb & Ugly were my 2 very clear and very wounding and limiting beliefs).  She was amazing to work with and made me feel wonderful and safe - even told me I look like Blake Lively...say, whaaaat?!!  I have the video to prove it.  The look on my face when she finally figured out who she was thinking of 😅 Don't you worry, my head did not expand too much, it was just a little universal wink that we don't always see ourselves correctly.  Fast forward a few weeks when I got the pictures. I was initially very hard on myself - thought Bry took great pictures, that it was me that looked bad.  I got over that ridiculous thinking and now love them.  Should I have brought more outfits?  Yes.  Could I have brought a little more of my personality to the shoot?  Duh.  But this was a huge step and a proclamation to the Universe that I'm here, ready, and showing the fuck up for this calling that I have.  So, until further notice, you will be seeing these photos everywhere 😆.  Thanks, Bry!  

Where did November even go?  Oh yea, I was sick again... for what feels like the entire month.  I look at illness as a soul uplevel.  Sometimes you're upleveling faster than your body so a forced rest and purge is the medicine 🙃. 

December, I ended the year with something magical: a manifested family trip to New York City!  It was magical and I am so thankful I get to create these memories with my favorite people. 

Gratitude and Looking Ahead
This year hasn’t been perfect, but it’s been mine. When people ask how I’m doing, I tell them, unapologetically, I’m loving my life. I’m living my dream life—not because everything is where I want it to be, but because I’m actively creating it every single day.

As I look to 2025, I’m not setting resolutions. Resolutions are limiting—life is too dynamic for that, there will be too many curveballs thrown your way to stick to a resolution. Instead, I’m focusing on how I want to feel:
🍋 Embodied
🍋 Expanded
🍋 Creative
🍋 Connected

I want to share my gifts on a broader scare and step even deeper into my role as a healer. I want to inspire others to dream big and take bold steps toward the lives they desire.

So, as you reflect on your year and look ahead, I invite you to let go of rigid goals. Ask yourself: How do I want to feel? And then, take steps that align with that energy.

Here’s to embodying your dreams and living boldly in 2025. Let’s make it a year to remember. Thanks for being in my orbit!  Xo, Ashley