2024: The Year of Resilience

As 2024 comes to a close, I find myself reflecting on a year marked by transformation. It’s been a journey of highs and lows—one that has ultimately left me happier and more fulfilled than I have been in ages.

This year, I experienced profound losses, including losing a dear friend who was like a sister to me to cancer, grappling with a family member’s hospitalization, and witnessing friends navigate some of the most challenging moments of their lives. Through it all, one theme has remained constant: resilience.

Resilience means getting up after every fall. It means taking a break when you need to but never staying down. Life is unpredictable and, at times, overwhelming, but it’s a universal truth that we all face challenges. Whether shared or kept private, those struggles shape us.

My advice? Keep pushing forward. Stay focused on what matters to you and the goals that inspire you. And as you forge ahead, remember this: if you can help someone along the way, do it.

In a world often divided, we have the power to set aside our differences and focus on collaboration, positivity, and shared purpose.

For me, that spirit of resilience and collaboration has been at the heart of Environmental Social Justice (ESJ). Four years into this webcast journey, I’ve celebrated weeks that were fantastic, while also navigating those that felt like uphill battles. But through it all, my mission has stayed the same: to find and highlight the “doers.”

Inventors, educators, entrepreneurs, and nonprofit leaders—these are the people shaping a brighter, more inclusive future. ESJ’s goal is simple: force out the negative, focus on the positive, and lift people up.

As we move into a new year, let’s carry the spirit of resilience with us. Let’s keep striving, keep connecting, and keep building a better world—together.

Thank you for being part of this journey. Here’s to 2025!

With gratitude, Wendy E. Nystrom