Countdown to Something New

Beginning Without a Blueprint

Welcome to 2026. It feels like just yesterday we were still in 2025, and suddenly here we are — a whole new year ahead of us.

I know many people step into a new year with lists of resolutions and carefully mapped-out plans, hoping that this year will somehow be better than the last. I get it. I’ve been there too. But this year, I’m choosing to approach things differently.

Instead of creating expectations or storylines I feel pressured to follow, I’m learning to live in the moment. I’ve realized that I’ve done the planning and the predicting over and over again — and life still finds its own way of redirecting me toward the path I’m meant to be on. So, this year, I’m giving myself permission to stay present, to enjoy what comes as it comes, and to look toward the future with a new set of eyes — even if they’re eyes I’ve been a little afraid to open before.

If you’ve been here with me for a while, you know that last year held a lot. I’ve grown in ways I didn’t always expect, and writing this blog — starting this journey — has changed how I see things. It’s helped me understand that beginnings don’t always start at the beginning. Sometimes they start exactly where they’re supposed to. Maybe it’s less about where you begin and more about the journey itself — about choosing to jump in with both feet, even when you don’t know exactly where you’ll land.

The truth is, I feel more excited about this year than I have in a long time — not because I have everything planned out, but because I don’t. I’m excited to see what life has in store, to stay open, and to keep showing up as I am, right here.

Forever Growing

Over the past year, I’ve written often about growth — about change, about learning to embrace it instead of resisting it. And in doing so, I think I'm finally starting to understand just how much your life, goals, and plans can change in the blink of an eye. Growth has a way of sneaking up on you when you least expect it.

I’m not in the same place I was a year ago, and not because everything went according to plan, but because it didn’t.

What once felt like obstacles turned into openings. The twists and turns I questioned at the time created space — space for growth, for reflection, and for discovering who I want to become. I’ve learned that trying to make change happen, or planning every step along the way, doesn’t always lead where we think it will. Life has a way of moving on its own timeline.

Lately, I’ve been learning to appreciate the unplanned moments — the ones I never could have prepared for. I’m moving with fewer expectations now, which might sound strange in a world that encourages us to have everything mapped out. Expectations can make life feel easier, more controlled. But getting sick reminded me of something important: nothing is permanent. Things can shift in an instant, like flipping a light switch.

Learning how to move within those changes — between what was and what is — has taught me that there is still meaning, still beauty, and still life to be lived in the in-between.

When One Question Becomes a Journey

I started this blog a year ago with a single question — one I never could have imagined would change so much. At the time, I didn’t know where it would lead or what it would become. And now, sitting here writing this, I’m realizing that this space has grown into something bigger than I ever expected.

The blog isn’t going anywhere. I still love writing, and sharing this journey with you continues to matter deeply to me. What is changing is how this space is evolving. That one question turned into many reflections — into posts that explored growth, change, uncertainty, healing, and becoming. Along the way, this blog became more than words on a page; it became a place for conversation.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about how these reflections might land differently if they were spoken. That’s where the idea of a spoken-word companion comes in — not a podcast, and not a replacement for writing, but an extension of it. A way to listen to these posts, to sit with them in a different way, and perhaps to hear something new in the pauses between the words.

This shift isn’t about leaving writing behind. It’s about creating another doorway for connection. Maybe hearing these reflections out loud will feel more intimate. Maybe it will open space for deeper conversations, or invite you to respond in ways that feel more natural than typing a comment. I don’t know exactly where this will lead, and I’m okay with that.

What I do know is that I’m excited about the possibility — and a little scared too. This is new territory for me. I’m learning as I go, trusting the process, and allowing myself to explore without needing all the answers upfront. Writing will continue, even if it slows for a moment, and this new layer will grow alongside it.

This is simply the next step in a journey that began with one question — and I’m grateful you’re here as it continues to unfold.

Creating Space Beyond the Page

From the beginning, Chase Purpose Inspires was never meant to live only on the page.

The idea for the store was born around the same time as the blog — Words That Inspire: A Podcast Turned Blog, and while the store took longer to take shape. The vision was always about sharing reflections, questions, and moments of inspiration. Despite the pauses, detours, and moments when things were put on hold, the intention never disappeared. The store isn’t a separate project; it’s a connective piece — an extension of the blog.  

The items being created are intentional by design. They’re meant to create space — for growth, self-care, creativity, self-love, and quiet reflection. Each piece is designed to meet people where they are and gently invite them to slow down, even if only for a moment.

Some of the items are directly connected to the blog itself — inspired by posts I’ve written. Others are born from lived experiences, moments of inner reflection that needed more room to exist beyond the page. And some come purely from creativity — from the joy of making, imagining, and allowing inspiration to be playful and expressive. Not everything is meant to be heavy or instructional; some things are simply meant to feel good, thoughtful, and alive.

What began as thoughts on a page has evolved into something tangible — something you can hold, write in, return to, and make your own. Even without seeing the store yet, I hope you can imagine it as a space filled with intention — a place where curiosity is welcome, where something might resonate unexpectedly, or where a single page might inspire you to pause, reflect, or grow in a way that feels meaningful to you.

The heart behind the name has always been the same. Chase Purpose Inspires was born during a season when I was doing exactly that — chasing my purpose while allowing myself to be inspired along the way. The store exists for the same reason: to encourage intentional living, self-reflection, and the courage to keep becoming.

Holding Space for What’s Next

I want to pause and say thank you.

Thank you for showing up here — for reading, reflecting, and spending time with these words. What started as a quiet space for expression grew because you were willing to sit with it, to return, and to let the words meet you where you were. That has mattered more than I can fully put into language.

This may be my last written post for a little while as I begin to explore a new way of sharing — through a spoken-word companion. Not as a replacement for writing, but as an extension of it. A way to let these reflections be heard, not just read. To allow space for tone, pauses, and presence to carry meaning in a different way.

Words have always been powerful for me. They’ve been a place of grounding, of becoming, of making sense of what I’m moving through. And lately, I’ve been learning that how we receive words matters just as much as how they’re written. Sometimes hearing them aloud allows something to settle more deeply.

If you choose to continue along this next part of the journey, I hope you’ll meet it with the same openness and curiosity you’ve brought here. There’s no expectation — just an invitation to stay present, to listen, and to allow the words to meet you in whatever way feels right.

Thank you for being here. For reading. For listening. For becoming — right alongside me.

The writing isn’t stopping — it’s just shifting rhythm. I’ll always be writing, even if the written posts don’t appear as frequently for a while, as I spend time exploring what it looks like to share these reflections out loud.

A Gentle Invitation

As part of this season of becoming, I created a small reflection to share — something grounding, simple, and intentional.

Rather than offering it through a storefront right now, I’ve chosen to share it personally. If you’d like a copy, you can email me at inspire@chasepurposeinspires.com, and I’ll send it directly to you.

It is important that this exchange stays human — not transactional — and that there’s space for conversation if you feel moved to share your thoughts afterward. This reflection isn’t meant to instruct or push. It’s simply a companion for this moment — something created slowly, with care, and offered in the same spirit this journey has always held. If it resonates, I’d love to hear from you. Not as feedback but as shared reflection — a way to stay connected as things continue to unfold.