Why I’m Taking a Break: A Year-End Reflection

Why I’m Taking a Break: A Year-End Reflection

Episode Description:

After a full year of showing up every week, Jama sits down for an unedited, voice-memo-style message to share what’s been on her heart. This episode is a personal update, a thank you to every listener who has been part of this journey, and an honest reflection on a year filled with change, growth, and realignment.

For the first time in a long time, Jama is giving herself permission to step back without knowing exactly what comes next. And instead of forcing clarity or direction, she’s choosing to trust the space this season is creating.

If you’ve ever reached a point in your life or business where you needed to pause, breathe, or rethink your next steps, this episode will remind you that stepping back isn’t failure. It’s preparation for what’s ahead.

In this short, heartfelt episode, Jama shares:

• Why this year brought more change than she expected
• What a full year of podcasting taught her
• Why she’s choosing rest over forcing the next chapter
• How uncertainty can actually be the most peaceful place to land
• A sincere thank you to the listeners who stayed with her all year

This isn’t a goodbye. It’s a pause. And a reminder that sometimes stepping back is exactly what helps you move forward.

Key Takeaways:

• Stepping back isn’t quitting; it’s creating space for clarity.
• A year of podcasting can teach you more about yourself than you expect.
• Growth often comes through rest, not constant momentum.
• It’s okay not to know what’s next — uncertainty can be grounding.
• Gratitude and honesty are powerful ways to close a chapter.

https://www.jamapantel.com

Chapters

• 0:00 A Different Kind Of Check-In
• 0:44 Lessons From A Year Of Change
• 1:29 Making Peace With Uncertainty
• 2:19 Living The Whole Picture
• 3:08 Gratitude For Shared Journeys
• 3:31 Gentle Wrap-Up And What’s Next
• 4:05 Closing Thanks And Invitation

Transcript

Jama Pantel: 0:00

Hey y'all, it's your podcast, Bestie Jama, and I wanted this drop today to be something a little bit different. Just me talking to you the way I would if we were sitting across the table having a matcha latte, which is my choice and preference or coffee for you. Um I've been thinking a lot about the past year, what it's meant, what it's taught me, and honestly, what it's changed in me. Because if you've been listening for a while, you've probably felt and heard the change in me throughout this year. This has been a huge year of shifts in so many ways in my business, in my body, how I show up, and what I want the next season of my life to look like. And I'm still trying to figure it out. When I recorded the very first episode of this podcast last year, I had no idea what the next twelve months would hold, but I kind of had an idea in mind because I'd been on track for many years doing the same thing. I didn't know how much I was going to grow or how much I was going to let go of this past year. I didn't know how many times I'd have to pause, reset, rethink, and choose a different direction than the one I thought I'd be walking now where I'm at this year. And I definitely didn't know how much this podcast would be a place of healing and become a part of that journey and allowing me to share my thoughts in a way that's more than the clickbait of social media. And here's the thing. For the first time in a long time, I really don't know what next year is going to look like, and I'm actually finally okay with that. Old me would have not have been that way. There's a kind of peace that has come over me for not forcing any kind of clarity into next year, with not looking for answers, with allowing things to unfold instead of trying to control the entire path like I have done for pretty much my whole life. And that's where I'm at right now. Open, curious, a little bit vulnerable, and finally starting to be more aligned with where I am and what I need. This podcast, Living the Whole Picture, was my way of sharing that that's what we do. We live the whole picture. It's not just what you see online on social media or what you share. It really is everything that encompasses us and has been such a grounding part of my life this year recording this for you guys, showing up every week, even when I didn't feel like myself, and I was going through all kinds of shifts and changes in my body and talking them out loud with you guys, talking through the things I was learning in real time, letting myself be honest about change, about burnout, about rebuilding, and about becoming a different version of myself, because that is where I'm at. And so many of you have told me that these episodes have helped you feel seen and helped you in some way, and that has meant the world to me that y'all have responded in the way y'all have, and that I have been able to help you through your own transitions and get through something or put up put out something that you didn't think you would be able to do. And then I just want to say from the bottom of my heart, thank you. Thank you for listening, thank you for staying with me, thank you for giving me the space to grow in public, even as I figured out things on my own behind the scenes, and thank you for allowing me into your journey and sharing with me where you're at. That in and of itself made all of this priceless to me. Next week will be my final wrap-up episode and a look back on what the year of podcasting has taught me, and after that, I'll be taking a real break. I'm wrapping up this podcast in a way that feels gentle and honest to me. Not because I'm done forever, but because I know I need space to step back before I step forward into whatever's next. And who knows, I may start another podcast in the future. Maybe it'll be about wellness and fitness or midlife or confidence or something entirely different. I don't know. I just know that I'm not done with my voice, and not even by a long shot sharing with y'all. I just feel like this chapter needs an ending, and so so a new one can begin. Again, I'm not really editing this or you know, making it polished. I'm just showing up for you guys. So as we wrap up December and start heading into the new year, again, I just want to say thank you truly. Thank you for listening. Thank you for walking with me. Thank you for showing up here week after week, staying committed to this podcast for an entire year is something I'm really proud of. And having you on the other side of these episodes made all of this possible. I hope you'll join me in the final episode next week. Um, and who knows what's gonna come next. Until next week, thanks y'all for tuning in and living the whole picture with me.