A Year in Review for Wild Awake Hearts

We’re ending this year with a deep reflection: a year in review for wild awake hearts. You know it’s the end of the year when there you are, just trying to drink your tea in peace, and your feed is full of “Optimize Your 2026,” “New Year, New You,” and shit like that. Meanwhile, the Buddha is somewhere looking at all these color-coded habit trackers like, “Beloveds… you know you’re still going to die, right?” So let’s try something different. Something with a Buddhist flair. Something that lets you walk into the new year not as a “better project,” but as a freer, truer, more alive version of you.

You will learn:

// Why conventional year-end reviews often turn into spiritualized self-attack, and what to do instead.

// How to use Buddhist teachings like impermanence and not-self to soften, not harden, your reflection.

// A simple way to honor both heartbreak and beauty, inspired by Mark Nepo’s “Adrift.”

// How to bring a social justice lens into your inner work so your practice isn’t separated from the world’s pain.

// Questions that reveal where we abandoned ourselves this year, and where we showed up bravely.

// How to recognize your own moments of aliveness and decolonize the dreams you’re chasing.

// Why remembering lineage is a rebellious act

// Ways to honor the earth as a living relative in your year-end reflection, not just a backdrop.

// How to set intentions that feel like prayers rather than punishments, and one simple ritual you can do today.

Resources:

// Episode 154: Off the Cushion - Activism + Spirituality

// Episode 174: Decolonize Your Mind - A Story of My Mother and Me

// Episode 184: The Power of Intention, Ritual, and Ceremony: Rediscovering the Sacred in Everyday Life

// Episode 260: Wild + Woven – Why We Need Both Nature and People

// Episode 286: The Concept of No-Self (and Greater Intimacy) – Off the Cushion Part 7

// If you’re new to the squad, grab the Rebel Buddhist Toolkit I created at RebelBuddhist.com. It has all you need to start creating a life of more freedom, adventure, and purpose. You’ll also get access to the Rebel Buddhist private group, and tune in every Wednesday as I go live with new inspiration and topics.

// Want something more self-paced with access to weekly group support and getting coached by yours truly? Check out Freedom School – the community for ALL things related to freedom, inside and out. We dive into taking wisdom and applying it to our daily lives, with different topics every month. Learn more at JoinFreedomSchool.com. I can’t wait to see you there!

// Have you benefited from even one episode of the Rebel Buddhist Podcast? I’d love it if you could leave a 5-star review on iTunes by clicking here or on Spotify by clicking here.