Is it just me, or as soon as the clock struck midnight, did 2025 feel like it was coming in hot, or what?
There was...
And here we thought Katt Williams sipping bourbon and dropping verbal bombs at the top of 2024 on Club Shay Shay was something.
We’re not even a week into the new year and I can’t even hold you. It already feels like a lot.
I gotta confess…
Watching these events unfold (even from outside the United States), I almost found myself slipping into that familiar space of existential dread…
The kind where you're doomscrolling through your timeline and each new piece of rage bait hits harder than the last…
Until you’re left wondering if joy is even possible in times like these.
So while I typically spend the final quarter of each year excitedly visioning for the next, this time around, doing so felt like such…an obligation.
As the liminal space between Christmas and NYE shortened and the days dragged on, I started to worry that if I didn’t sit down and at least attempt to map out my next year soon, I’d risk being dragged through 2025.
Plus, not even two weeks had passed since I'd attended the funeral of a childhood friend who lost her battle to cancer at just 34.
There's something soul-shaking about gazing into the casket of a young, fresh-faced woman who looks like she should be just starting her life instead of meeting the end of it.
Shit starts to get a little more real. At least it felt like it did for me. The weight of that loss followed me through the holidays.
I didn’t even go out on NYE.
When midnight hit on January 1st, I wasn't on some swanky rooftop raising a toast. Instead, I was standing in my kitchen, bone-weary but breathing, counting survival as victory enough.
(Baby, Auntie was seasoning her black-eyed peas because evidently I didn’t eat enough of them h*es in 2024).
Tired as I was, I still couldn't deny what's always been true: my words hold weight and my pen is powerful.
Growing up in the church, certain scriptures get written on your heart and they become guideposts for how to move through the world. One of those for me has always been Habakkuk 2:2: "Write the vision. Make it plain."
These words have carried me through some of my biggest leaps of faith - especially as I was making my move abroad.
Regardless of where I am in my life, they remind me that every time I dare to imagine beyond my present circumstances, I’m tapping into the same divine audacity that helped my ancestors envision freedom - even when it seemed impossible.
So when I finally sat down to vision for 2025, I was carrying the weight of all we'd witnessed. Not just the headlines, but the raw reality of burying friends who'd barely begun to live. I found myself wrestling with what it means to dream.
Even the thought of creating another vision board felt overwhelming. Sifting through magazines for the perfect images, arranging them just right - it all felt like too much.
Because how do you dare to imagine something better when the world seems determined to remind you of all the reasons to despair?
So I made a deal with Big Sandals.
I said, "Look, if you want me to write this vision, I need it to feel like play, not pressure. If Joy and Jubilee really is the theme for 2025, then even the dreaming part needs to feel more... joyful."
The Capital G must have heard me because shortly after, while scrolling TikTok one night, I stumbled upon someone sharing how they were making a life bingo card instead of a vision board.
In that moment, a light switched on. You know how we're always saying "that wasn't on my bingo card!" when life throws us its plot twists? This TikTok video reminded me of that phrase.
I started thinking about how passive that feels - like we're all just sitting around, waiting to see what life will deal us next.
So, that creator’s take on the life bingo card inspired me to make the activity my own and I’m giving it a try this year.
So, I created my own Life Visioning Bingo card for 2025.
This is my way of saying "I'm here to co-create with the universe." Because I'm done waiting for life to surprise me.
Each square holds something I'm intentionally calling in - whether that's a dream big enough to scare me or a moment of joy simple enough to make me smile.
Now, I have to admit this feels different than any other visioning practice I’ve tried before.
It’s lighter. More playful.
But somehow I feel like it’ll be just as powerful.
And to my surprise, when I shared a glimpse of it on Instagram Stories…
My DMs lit up with people saying things like…
I started sending blank templates to everyone who asked, watching as this simple idea began rippling through my community.
The flood of messages confirmed what I suspected: we're all craving a gentler way to dream - a way that feels less like pressure and more like possibility.
Listen, none of us can predict exactly what 2025 will bring. But as we move through this year together, I want to be more intentional about catching the glimmers.
Maybe you’re like me - exhausted by everything - and you need a different way to vision right now…
Maybe you're ready to surrender - to release the weight of rigid goal-setting and trust in a more intuitive way of dreaming…
Maybe you're seeking a different kind of accountability - one that celebrates the journey as much as the destination. One that makes space for both the bold moves and the quiet victories.
Or maybe you're just ready to become an active player in your own game of life because you’re tired of watching it unfold from the sidelines and now you’re ready to claim every moment of joy that rightfully belongs to you.
Wherever you are in your journey - whether you're healing, building, transitioning, or simply breathing - this practice can meet you there.
The beauty of it is, there's no wrong way to play.
It’s your journey. Your dreams. And you get to say how you want to embrace them.
Do you want to join me in this visioning practice and create your own Life Visioning Bingo Card for 2025?
If so…
Fill it with whatever your spirit is calling you to create this year.
Maybe it's that business idea you've been nurturing.
Maybe it's finally making that move abroad.
Maybe it's writing that book that's been living in your heart.
Whatever those dreams are - give them space on your card.
And if you find yourself filling up one card, go ahead and create another!
I've got separate cards for different areas of my life - because I’m claiming ALL my blessings in 2025…
Ya feeeeel me?!
I invite you share some of your intentions in the comments with the rest of the community.
Who knows? Your dreams might just be the catalyst someone else needs to start believing in their own.
Will you be playing along?
-Courtney
Resources & More Ways to Stay Connected
Curious about what it’s really like to live abroad? Black Expat Stories brings you the unfiltered, inspiring, and unforgettable journeys of those pioneering America’s Next Great Migration: The Blaxit. We’re capturing some of the most riveting stories about international living—told by Black expats and immigrants. Click to watch now!
Whether you're pondering making a move abroad or reflecting on what freedom truly means for you, check out the Blaxit Soundtrack & Soul Work Journal. This beautiful blend of curated music and guided prompts will help you chart your path - from decision to departure. Download it for free now.
Thinking about making a move abroad and want find our where your people are? Check out my curated guide: 14 Countries With THRIVING Black Expat Communities.
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