8 Takeaways from 2025

Nadia NeylaJan 31, 2026 · 3 min read · ___ views

Last year felt like an emotional ride. It was filled with confusion, tension, and sadness. At the same time, life took me through unexpected moments and new experiences. Work became more challenging too, and there were moments when the pressure felt overwhelming. But by year's end, things slowly felt lighter. Some relationships improved, routines felt more intentional, and I found my way back to learning and building personal projects (something I deeply missed before my full-time job consumed everything).

Looking back, two themes stood out the most: patience and self-control. At the time, many moments didn't make sense. But now I understand that life was pushing me to grow into someone better.

Here are my learnings:

1. How people treat us is beyond our control. When we are treated badly, we don't have to respond badly, because not everything deserves our energy. Widening the gap between stimulus and response helps us control our reactions. It minimizes unnecessary conflict that worsens the situation.
2. Growth comes not from what happens to us, but from how we handle what happens to us. The quality of our lives isn't determined by circumstances, but by our responses to them. Each moment of choosing how to respond is an opportunity for growth. Those small choices shape our character, and character determines destiny.
3. Don't be afraid to take on bigger challenges, because our abilities can expand to match what we take on.
4. Real progress comes not from how much we consume, but from how much we recall, express, and produce.
5. Sometimes I feel sad when good things happen in my life, because I'm thinking that getting too attached makes it harder when they're gone. It's good to have a happy life and I'm grateful for it, but I think it's even more valuable to know how to struggle well. Happiness needs no preparation, but suffering does.
6. Doing the right kind of relaxing is part of the work. It restores energy and helps us tackle our tasks better. It's not counterproductive. It actually makes us more productive.
7. Just because someone wants something doesn't mean we should want it too. People can have different desires and needs. Instead of looking outside and comparing ourselves to others, it's better to look inside to understand what we actually want and need.
8. It turns out the answer to not knowing what to do in life is to simply start doing something. We have to move first. When we move, we create experience, and experience gives us data to reflect on. Through reflection, we learn more about ourselves and what we really care about. That clarity is what makes life feel less empty and more fulfilling.