Don't fear the mirror

As the year draws to an end, we are all fatigued from an intense year at work and quite literally stuffed full of Christmas goodness; whether it is prawns and champers for breakfast, Turkey/Turducken/Nut Roast with all the trimmings for dinner, and then left over ham with bubble & squeak on Boxing day to watch the cricket. During this period, we all wake up in the morning already full to the stomach from the day before's indulgence, probably with a slight dusty head after that "regret glass" of red wine and we start thinking about the new year which is right around the corner.

What will the new year have in store for me? We universally pray silently to the "universe" for more money (I defy anyone to suggest that there is one person on the planet who doesn't secretly wish for this, even the billionaires!) or to lose those extra kilo's, to get fit, to get a better job, to go on holiday....the generic list goes on. Imagine being the Almighty Spirit and seeing those generic wishes lob up on your desk year after year. Get creative people!! How tiresome!

Personally, 2025 was quite a trying year. There were some pretty decent highs but they were also followed by some pretty weighty lows. Everyone that I have spoken to seems to feel that 2025 has been a difficult one and that 2026 has the weight of renewed expectation. Perhaps it is the fact that 2025 was The Year of the Snake in Chinese horoscope and that 2026 will be The Year of the Horse. The symbolism doesn't escape me, let alone the actual meaning of it, however, keeping this at a surface level and being an Aussie; Snakes are never a good thing and Horses (according to my husband and in the eternal words of Sherlock Holmes) are crafty at both ends and suspicious in the middle. We shall see.

Reflecting on the areas of growth for me this year, it has certainly been creating this blog and casting away long held fears of judgement from peers, family, colleagues and also my own judgement of myself. I have had a year-long "conscious uncoupling" from the issues and emotions that were holding me back, a lot of which I have written about in my previous blogs. Fear, resentment, jealousy and anger are some of the more dominant ones that I have evicted from my wheelhouse, and having done so, it is remarkable how balanced I now feel.

There have been times in 2025 where I have consciously caught myself on the verge of "letting myself down" with emotions. This might be on the back of news from abroad or things such as baby announcements, promotions and deaths. The baby announcements have been particularly triggering for me, as you can imagine with my past relationship issues and current fertility concerns. However, my personal growth this year has seen me move past those negative emotions into an area of acceptance that I had never really been. I have caught myself on the verge of those moments this year, and consciously (and sometimes with a degree of difficulty) made the choice to think differently about it. And it worked. These triggers are now a thing of the past and I can say with confidence that I am a better person, friend & sister for it.

Starting this blog/website this year along with my YouTube Channel and my Insta/brand ambassador work was a HUGE thing for my personal development, and moving past the fear of failure and the fear of judgement from my peers/family/friends. I was so scared of what people would think of me that it took me nearly 8 months to even mention it on my Facebook page. I am absolutely sure that what I am creating is a great thing, and I back myself completely with it, but what would my old school/Adelaide/Rowing friends think? What would my colleagues and network think? What would my cousins think? I was absolutely petrified and I hid from it. That changed one day in October, when I got accepted to participate in a brand new Australian TV show. It was that day, that I got the email saying that I had been cast and that I was ging to be on TV that changed things. I decided that fear could no longer live here, because in 2026 it was all going to be out there for all to see. I needed to take the leap of faith, that it would all be ok, and that fear no longer had a home in my head.

The amount of support that I received was UNREAL and I am so glad that I moved past that internal roadblock. All I hope is that any judgement from others is kept within their own 4 walls, however I am no longer bothered whether it exists or not.

That brings me to my Television debut. Again, something I decided to apply for on a whim in the spirit of "why not". When I was actually cast in the series, I literally couldn't believe it. I was so excited because this could (and hopefully would) be the platform to launch my online ventures. I have always wanted to do TV work and now it was going to be a reality.

It was also kind of scary, because I was going to be putting myself out there in a VERY public way, moreso than my small YouTube channel or my brand Instagram (or even this blog site). I would be literally in people's faces! When I went to film, and over the course of the week, I was so surprised and very thankful that I made a fabulous group of friends who I will be keeping in touch with moving forward. It made me realise that so many people live with fears of their own creation that it stops you from pursuing things that could be amazing. I never wanted to be that person again and seeing one hundred other Aussies doing the exact same thing made something click inside me. Never again will I let fear hold me back.

The show will air in Australia in 2026, I am fully expecting my phone to "blow up" when it does....but that will be a good thing and something that I am not afraid of.

In 2026 I am hoping that I will be applying for and cast in further TV work, I loved it that much.

To conclude my reflection and to leave you all with a heartfelt piece of me, going into 2026, I hope that you can all take a moment to sit and reflect on your own personal journey.

What have you done this year to grow as a human being? What has challenged you and helped raise you up to greater things? What has let you down this year, that you would like to "do over" next year?

If we don't sit in the moment, with ourselves, and honestly assess things - there is no opportunity for growth, and if nothing else, that has been my biggest lesson and is also my gift to you. An idea, a thought process, a question.

Happy 2026 to all,

with Love, Respect and Big Ol' hugs

TCG xxx