Reflecting on 2024: Embracing Intensity in Light and Shadow

Dear Friends,

As we close the chapter on 2024, I find myself reflecting not only on what went well but also on the moments that stretched me, challenged me, or even left me feeling disappointed. Life, after all, becomes particularly special in contrast.

This year, during a rainy day on a pre-Christmas skiing trip to Châtel, I found myself sitting in a thermal spa, soaking in the warmth of a jacuzzi as cold raindrops fell on my face. The next morning, the rain had turned to cold, crisp air and perfect snow, and I found myself skiing through stillness and beauty that felt even more vivid after the contrast of the day before. It struck me how profoundly contrast shapes our experiences. The cold rain made the hot water feel indulgent; the perfect snow made the chill feel invigorating. Every light comes with a shadow. Every success is built on setbacks, and every celebration often carries the echoes of challenges overcome.

For me, 2024 was a year of celebration and loss, laughter and tears, new friendships and tough goodbyes. I lost my father, saw friends embark on different journeys, and navigated new opportunities and challenges. Yet through it all, I learned that intensity—the kind that makes us feel life deeply—is born from embracing the full spectrum of experience. The setbacks, the disappointments, the "No" moments—they are all part of the same coin as the triumphs and joys.

Now, as I sit in a busy Geneva airport with a delayed flight, I have a choice. I could judge myself for booking a late evening flight, grow anxious about arriving home late, or I could pause, breathe, and trust that this delay might be exactly what I need right now.

Why, then, do we so often resist the moments of intensity—the discomfort, the setbacks—when they hold the key to feeling more alive? What if we leaned into them instead, seeing them as proof that we’re fully engaged in life?

As you look to 2025, I invite you to reflect:

• What do you want to create in the year ahead?
• How can you turn the "No" moments into catalysts for something greater?
• Where can you embrace intensity—not just the light, but the shadow too?

Let’s step into the new year with #trust, #courage, and a willingness to feel it all—the highs and the lows, the light and the dark. Because it’s in embracing #intensity that we unlock the fullness of life.

Wishing you a year of #creativity, #courage, #joy and #abundance.

With gratitude to ADAPTAA team, Carmen Balacianu , Sylvia Rohde-Liebenau, PhD , Mary Alder-Bentley , Greta Steigvilaite and in particular to wonderful Alina Addison for your patience, love and always positive outlook.

With love, Tatiana