
I have a confession to make: I've written the same New Year's resolution approximately 847 times. (Okay, maybe not quite that many and I probably don’t admit that it’s a “resolution” because that word’s not cool anymore, is it?) Every January, I promise myself that THIS will be the year I write a book. For years, that resolution sat there, gathering dust alongside "floss every day" and "learn to fold fitted sheets properly."
But this January feels different. Last night, I held my finished book proposal in my hands and my heart actually fluttered. Not just because it's done (though, believe me, that feels incredible), but because it represents the moment I finally understood the difference between a dream and a reality isn't readiness. It's community.
I didn't know the first thing about writing a book proposal when I started. Publishing felt like a foreign country where I didn't speak the language. But instead of letting that stop me (like I had all those previous years), I did something that felt both terrifying and liberating – I started asking questions.
Every time I admitted what I didn't know, someone (usually
or or ) stepped forward with exactly the knowledge I needed.Think about your own resolutions for a moment. That thing you keep promising yourself you'll do "someday." What if the only thing standing between you and that goal isn't time, or knowledge, or readiness – but connection?
This is what I keep learning from the remarkable women I interview on The Uplifters: none of us do big things alone. We do them in community, in conversation, in constant exchange with others who've walked similar paths or who simply believe in where we're trying to go.
Listen to any episode of the podcast, and you'll hear it. These women – founders, movement-builders, change-makers – they all tell stories of moments when they didn't know the way forward. But instead of stopping, they reached out. They asked. They gathered their people.
This week's episode brings us
, founder of Women Against Negative Talk (WANT), who describes how she found her way through the darkest periods of her life by finding her people.Speaking of finding your people... This is why I'm so dang giddy about Uplifters Live 2025. Imagine taking all those "someday" dreams and finally giving them the community they deserve. A full day of unvarnished conversations about courage, connection, and what becomes possible when we stop waiting to be ready and start gathering our people instead.
Maybe this year, instead of setting that same old solo intention, write down who you need in your corner to make it happen. You don't have to know everything. You just have to be brave enough to admit what you don't know and curious enough to find the people who can help you learn.
Here's to making 2025 the year we stop going it alone.
With gratitude and courage,
Aransas
Grab your ticket to Uplifters Live HERE. Every ticket supports Emma's Torch's vital mission of empowering refugees through culinary training. If the ticket price is a barrier, please reply to this email. I believe so deeply in having you in the room that I've set aside complimentary tickets for our community members who need them, no questions asked.
➡️ Paid subscribers can find my complete 2025 Reflection Guide below – it's a thoughtful companion for processing your 2024 journey and dreaming into what's next.
➡️ Plus, I'm offering something special: Courage & Clarity Sessions for 2025! In these intimate 75-minute 1:1 sessions, we'll dive deep into your reflections, identify your core desires for the year ahead, and craft a practical roadmap to get you there. I have just 8 spots available at $275 (regular price $400). These tend to fill quickly, so if you're feeling called to start your year with purpose and momentum, reply to this email to claim your spot.
Here's to honoring where we've been and boldly stepping into where we're headed!
Aransas
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