Looking Back, Looking Forward, and Trusting What We’re Capable Of
Christmas has a way of slowing us down, whether we intend it to or not. The noise eases. The pace softens. And somewhere between the kettle going on and the day getting underway, there’s a moment where reflection naturally creeps in.
Not the loud, highlight-reel kind.
The quieter kind.
The kind that asks: Did I really do all that this year?
Because the truth is, at the start of this year, I didn’t have a neat list of outcomes. I didn’t know exactly what was coming. I just kept showing up, saying yes where it felt right, and trusting the next step when it appeared.
And looking back now, I feel proud. Genuinely proud. And grateful.
This year, I’ve had the privilege of helping charities raise thousands of pounds through the charity firewalks we’ve run. Every one of those events reminded me that firewalking isn’t about spectacle, it’s about people discovering they’re stronger than they thought, and then using that strength for something bigger than themselves. Watching individuals step across hot coals knowing their courage would ripple out into real support for others never gets old.
I also ran a Firewalk Instructor Training in the Highlands and certified new instructors. That matters deeply to me. Training and certifying new firewalk instructors isn’t just about passing on skills, it’s about stewardship. It’s about lineage. It’s about knowing the work will continue in safe, grounded, and capable hands. Seeing new instructors step into their role, take responsibility, and realise what they’re capable of was one of the real highlights of the year.
Then there was the International Firewalk Gathering. Hosting it here in Scotland, and welcoming many of the world’s top firewalking instructors and masters, was something I’ll always hold with quiet pride. To stand in circle with people I respect deeply, to share stories, knowledge, laughter, and fire, and to do it on Scottish soil, felt both surreal and profoundly right. It wasn’t about status. It was about community. About connection. About honouring the work and those who walk this path.
I was also honoured to receive the Rake Award. That one took me by surprise. Recognition is a strange thing. It lands best when you’re not chasing it. I received it with gratitude, humility, and a deep respect for those who’ve walked this road long before me. It felt less like a destination, and more like a nod to keep going.
Looking back on all of this, I’m reminded of something I see time and again in the people I work with. You rarely know what’s ahead of you. You rarely see the full picture while you’re in it. And you almost always underestimate what you’re capable of.
Capability doesn’t announce itself. It reveals itself in hindsight.
It shows up when you look back and realise you handled things you once thought were beyond you. When you notice growth that happened quietly, between the big moments. When you recognise that you kept going, even when you weren’t entirely sure how it would all unfold.
This time of year is a good moment to acknowledge that. Not to inflate the ego, but to honour the effort. To say, quietly and honestly, I did more than I thought I could this year.
And if that’s true, then it’s worth asking what might be possible next, even if you can’t see it clearly yet.
So this Christmas, I’m choosing to look back with gratitude, stand in pride without arrogance, and look forward with curiosity rather than certainty. Because if this year has taught me anything, it’s that the path reveals itself by walking it.
Merry Christmas to you, wherever you are and whatever kind of year you’ve had. Take a moment today to acknowledge what you’ve made it through, what you’ve built, and who you’ve become along the way.
You might be more capable than you realise.