At the start of 2025, as I do for each new year, I come up with a word or words that are my North Star for the year ahead. In January, I declared it my year of “fun and freedom” — freedom from body image baggage, job stress, and anything that dimmed my creativity. I wrapped up a book, tackled my bucket list, and leaned hard into joy.

Then life delivered its plot twist: an unpaid furlough, courtesy of an unelected bonehead and the felon who gutted USAID. The irony isn’t lost on me — now “fun and freedom” includes job boards and writing cover letters. But in a strange way, the theme still fits. This year has been about saying yes to what fills me up and getting clearer on what comes next.

Lyssa White 2/12/25 Lyssa White 2/12/25

Word of the Year: Fun & Freedom?

At the start of 2025, I declared it my year of “fun and freedom” — freedom from burnout, body image baggage, and anything that dimmed my creativity. Then life handed me a plot twist: an unpaid furlough.

At the start of 2025, as I do for each new year, I come up with a word or words that are my North Star for the year ahead. In January, I declared it my year of “fun and freedom” — freedom from body image baggage, job stress, and anything that dimmed my creativity. I was finished writing the book that kept me awake at night, continued to tackle my bucket list, and as always, leaned hard into joy.

Then life delivered its plot twist: an unpaid furlough, courtesy of an unelected bonehead and the felon-President who dismantled USAID without a second thought. After years of pouring myself into the nonprofit space and humanitarian work, it’s all unraveling and I’m just collateral damage in whatever this new system is.

The irony isn’t lost on me. Now “fun and freedom” includes job boards and writing a billion cover letters. But in a strange way, the theme still fits. This year has been about saying yes to what fills me up and getting clearer on what comes next.

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