What 2025 Taught Me

A month-by-month reflection on the Buddhist teachings and mindfulness practices that shaped my year.

Sun rising amidst the clouds | Photo by Nitish Meena on Unsplash

I’ve never had a great memory. It’s gotten worse over time, I blame the Internet and old age. That’s why the end of the year is such a time of reflection for me — to recall back on what happened this past year, all the goodness and all the challenges, and everything in between has become a ritual.

As another year comes to a close, I look back at the insight and teachings that got me through to the other side and what and how my practices have evolved and transformed me.

So I’m sharing a quick hit list of what Buddhist teachings came up for me month-by-month and hope you have time to reflect on 2025 as well before transitioning to 2026. And as always, I want to share my deepest gratitude for you reading, for your support and most of all — for your dedication to the practice.

May we continue on this path toward freedom with joy, equanimity and great insight. See you next year, friends.

xoxoxo,
Kim

January

Daunted by the vicious attacks on our democracy and the marginalized people in our country, I reminded myself to come back to love.

February

Knowing that part of this administration’s tactics was to obliterate us with a firehose of policies that would undo years of civil rights, fighting back looked a little different. Instead of turning away, I simply stopped to rest and found a way to moderate my consumption of the news so my nervous system wasn’t always in a fight-flight-freeze-fawn mode. That way, I could get back up again and fight for humanity another day.

March

The liberating feeling of dancing in the streets of San Juan.

April

On the 50th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon, I remembered my parents’ journey to America as a call-to-action on how we must speak up now against authoritarianism before it’s too late.

May

I took a big step on my spiritual path, beginning my process to commit to my next set of vows and commitments, all because of the community who has supported me along the way. This year was the year I started to truly embrace sangha as one of the Three Jewels.

June

I was reminded that amidst death and grief, we can still live.

July

I contemplated on whether we could ever really reconcile with the karma of colonization and what freedom truly means in America right now.

August

I was reminded of the boundless capacity of our hearts through caring for our first foster kid and felt the teachings of the Brahmaviharas in a way I never have before.

September

I continued to grapple with burnout and boundaries and went into deep inquiry about the idea of “laziness” and instead embraced the liberatory practice of aimlessness.

October

I was reminded how important it is for us to grieve and mourn the death of democracy and our ideas of what America should be, could be — all through a practice of embracing impermanence.

November

On reflecting on my trip from Japan, I grasped a deeper understanding of emptiness and questioned labels and form.

December

I remembered how we are all miracles.