The Last Month: Reflections on Letting Go and Leading Yourself

Hi Friends,

Here we are, the last month of the year. Truly, what a year it has been. I'm sure all of you feel that in some way or another, whether it's been a year of growth, challenge, unexpected turns, or all of the above.

For me, this year has been about letting go. A lot of letting go, actually. Relationships that no longer served me. Expectations I'd been carrying like stones in my pockets. Old versions of myself that I'd outgrown but kept trying to fit back into, like clothes from a decade ago.

But here's what I've learned: I've reached the point where I'm okay with letting go. There's no point in holding on to things and asking "what if?" when deep down, you already know the answer. Those what-ifs can haunt you, keep you stuck in place, circling the same thoughts over and over.

Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is acknowledge the truth you've been avoiding and release your grip.

Being Your Own Chief Self Officer

As the Chief Self Officer of my life, a role I take seriously, this year has made me more aware of people and their behaviors, mine included. I've watched patterns unfold. I've noticed how people show up when things are easy versus when things get hard. I've seen who stays and who fades away when you stop being convenient for them.

More importantly, I've seen my own patterns with fresh eyes. The ways I accommodate to my own detriment. The times I stay silent when I should speak. The moments I give away my power without even realizing it.

All of these observations have opened my eyes to a lot. And isn't that what true leadership, especially self leadership, requires? Being a CSO means paying attention to yourself, your awareness, your observations. It means being honest about what you see, even when that honesty is uncomfortable.

The Courage to Choose Differently

I won't lie, it takes courage to be a CSO, to truly acknowledge that you are the leader of your own life. That acknowledgment involves some hard decisions. Decisions that might disappoint others. Decisions that might look wrong to people who don't understand your journey. Decisions that feel lonely before they feel liberating.

But I've realized something important: I would rather take the road where there is no road and open it up for others to follow. I'd rather be the person who tries something different, who chooses authenticity over acceptance, who builds a path that reflects my values rather than walking someone else's well-worn trail.

Yes, it's harder. Yes, it's uncertain. But at least it's mine.

The Paradox of Time

This year has also taught me about the shortness and longness of life, that strange paradox we all live within. Life is long enough to reinvent yourself multiple times, to learn hard lessons and apply them, to mess up and try again. The decades stretch out before us with possibility.

And yet, life is also achingly short. Too short to spend it living for other people's approval. Too short to waste on relationships that drain you. Too short to postpone your dreams, your healing, your truth.

When you hold both of these truths at once, the shortness and the longness, it changes how you make decisions. It makes you braver and more intentional. It helps you say yes to what matters and no to what doesn't.

Moving Forward

As we enter this final month of the year, I'm not making grandiose resolutions or sweeping declarations about who I'll be in the new year. Instead, I'm carrying forward what this year has taught me: that letting go creates space, that self-leadership requires courage, and that the path less traveled is often the one that leads you home to yourself.

I'm curious what has this year taught you? What are you ready to let go of? What road are you ready to create?

Here's to the journey, friends. Here's to being our own Chief Self Officers.

Wishing you peace and happiness from my heart to yours!

Peace

Monita