2025: What I Learned This Year
an attempt at turning experiences into 'wisdom' 😉
Hello.
“We do not learn from experience,” said American philosopher John Dewey. “We learn from reflecting on experience.”
For the past two years, I’ve shared my lessons learned with the WAGO readers.1 Twice in a row counts for an annual tradition now, right? 😉
Writing these helps me understand the year I just lived, and I share them here, in case they nudge a thought or two for you as you look back on yours.
This year’s reflections are a little looser than the past ones — just the mood I’m in, I suppose. But format notwithstanding, here are the key takeaways from my 2025.
Most problems are solvable. But the solution may not be what you think or how you’d like them to be. And insisting that a problem be solved the way you want it to be solved — and only that way — becomes the obstacle to it being solved.
It’s easy to say, “I know what my values are.” It’s much harder to consistently live up to those values, especially when you have to stand up for them, when you have to stick to what you believe in front of family and friends… when sticking to your values could mean you are ostracized or become “other”. But at the end of the day — or in the middle of the night, when you’re staring at yourself in the mirror at 3 am — knowing you upheld your values feels quite peaceful and angst-free.
You can come up with as many well-thought-out plans as you want. But sometimes (often?), things outside your control can change the rules of the game without warning. And the best thing you can do is to recognize, as swiftly as you can, that your plans are no longer viable. Spend as little time as you can whining and complaining about the unfairness of it all. Switch to “okay, it is what it is; what now?” thinking as soon as possible.
There are so many people who, when given the chance, will embrace their foulest side and proudly share it with the world. (This is an unfortunate realization I’ve reached this year.)
It doesn’t matter how old you get, the 13-year-old in you will always show up when she feels scared and vulnerable. She will always be with you, and it’s time to stop fighting with her (or worse, hating her). She’s the part of you who felt the early stings of rejection and humiliation, and it’s your job now to reassure her that both of you are safe.
Marcus Aurelius wrote Meditations for himself. It was his journal, and he repeated himself often in those pages. He reminded himself of the same lessons he needed to learn, over and over. What a relief this is to see; there’s no need to feel frustrated with yourself. There simply are lessons that will take a while to learn. There are even lessons that you may have to keep (re)learning throughout your lifetime. There’s nothing wrong with you.
Listen to your own drumbeat and pace your life accordingly. No need to follow other people’s standards of “slow living”. What’s important is that you choose what sets your pace, and as long as you can hear yourself above the noise, that is good enough.
How did your 2025 go?
Well, there you have it. Those are my key takeaways from 2025. I’d love to hear yours as well. What’s a key takeaway for you this year?
🏷 Thinking Life
💭 not Socrates, but close enough
“Because life isn’t simply made of the things we do, but the things we don’t do too.” — Matt Haig, The Midnight Library
💬 last word
I had such a hard time choosing a song for this. I think I spent half as long looking for it as I did writing the piece. 🤦🏻♀️
Sometimes, the only answer is an ’80s banger.
All my best,
Lou Blaser
These are fantastic insights. I agree with them all... except maybe the song but we can disagree on that one. Thank you for sharing your brilliance with us 😍
Great list. You’re right about that 13 year old hiding inside.