What People Were Proud Of in 2025: Finding Joy During a Rough Year

Pride seems like such a trite word when I think of the year I’ve been through — and what has happened in the world. I started 2025 with a machine pumping my heart to keep me alive and nearly 30 medications coursing through my veins. At the same time, I looked out the window of my hospital room and saw the city I loved being burned to ashes. My friends and family members had to evacuate their homes. Thousands of people were left with nothing except the clothes on their backs. Only a couple weeks later, a man who I believe threatens democracy and basic human rights was elected as president. I felt so much anger at the cruelty in the world, on top of fighting to keep my heart beating.

There’s no doubt that 2025 was a year full of unimaginable tragedies that impacted everyone. For me, it’s hard to name the emotional toll all of this has taken and still offer reassurance I don’t have yet. Truthfully, I don’t know what lies ahead. It scares me thinking about the hatred that permeates through so many people.

However, throughout all the evilness, I have also seen moments of beauty and love. One of my cardiac ICU nurses gave me a friendship bracelet after we bonded over our love of Taylor Swift. The entire floor of nurses fought tooth and nail for me to get to go outside after over two weeks. I watched strangers donate everything to people who lost their homes and belongings. Compared to last year, almost double the amount of participants showed up to the Race to Cure Sarcoma walk in hopes of finding better treatment options and a cure.

Although I may not feel a sense of celebration or pride looking back on 2025, I do feel motivated to keep fighting for the glimmers of hope. Sometimes the news can be bleak and we may not see the strength and goodness of others — so that’s what I want to focus on here. I’ve compiled a list of things that people have accomplished this year that they are genuinely proud of. There are others making a positive difference in the world, and that deserves a spotlight. Cheers to love and hope in 2026. May we continue to show up for the light that exists, even amid the darkness.

Scroll down for a collection of anonymous responses that were shared of things people were proud of in 2025:

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• “I got my masters degree!!!”

• “My new job! Finding my place more in DC.”

• “Ran a half marathon!”

• “Lost my job — got 4 job offers within 3 months which is a testament of how hard I work.”

• “Starting my PhD!”

• “Continuing to foster meaningful friendships, relationships, and work ethic.”

• “Moved to NYC!”

• “Seeking mental health help.”

• “I started a business!”

• “I took the LSAT (twice)."

• “I got into a way healthier relationship. I had a boyfriend who was very, very psychologically abusive. Broke up and stayed single for two ish years and now met this awesome girl who’s just the best all around.”

• "My resilience, growing stronger through my workouts while supporting my courageous daughter on her path to healing."

• “I’m 24 and proud that I’m here. Learning how to be present, I adopted yoga every night & morning as time to be with myself and I’m thankful for that fact.”

• “I made it to the end of the year.”

• “I’m a college junior, in a rigorous healthcare program. I finished out my last two semesters with only A’s and B’s. Feeling pretty proud of that!”

• “Having read 25 books for 2025! This after about three years of reading very little.”

• “I was completely sober the entirety of 2025, made it through the loss of my mom sober, the end of a 3 year relationship, loss of jobs. Honestly, 2025 was one of the worst years of my life, but at least I stayed clean.”

• “Grew my business. Here’s to even more growth this year.”

• “Leaving my friend group.”

• “I retired, consulted for several weeks, and cut all business ties a few months ago.”

• “I held my stocks all year and accumulated cheaply.”

• “I got through some really difficult days. Resilience.”

• “I ran a 5k!”

• “I got into my dream grad school :). But honestly more exciting for me is that I softened my view on the world and saw things with more grateful eyes.”

• “I did not break down crying about my mom passing away any time during 2025. She passed away in 2017 and I’ve been in non-stop grief ever since. Been crying for eight freaking years. Started therapy and… here I am! Very happy with my progress. Still miss her, but I am able to deal with it way better now.”

• “I’ve never tried to lose weight before and lost 20 pounds since June 1 of last year and stopped the progression of pre-diabetes.”

• “Finished doula classes!”

• “I traveled solo over 24,000 miles.”

• “I got pregnant and successfully had a baby in early December. My pregnancy was rough, I lost my job, and had several complications that led to baby being in NICU for almost 2 weeks, but he’s home and thriving now and I’m ridiculously happy being a mum!”

• “I quit weed and nicotine and it was hard as f***. Had to seek mental health help.”

• “I got married, moved, graduated law school, and got a job, and I got to speak my mother tongue in front of my now-husband for a full week on our honeymoon, which I was sooo at ease at last to do.”

• “I flossed my teeth every day!!!! My dentist was also proud of me :).”

• “I chose and showed up for myself.”

• “My family and I built a chicken coop/run in our backyard and have kept a flock of laying hens.”

• “My marriage is in tact.”

• “I bought a new car.”

• “Bought a condo.”

• “I traveled.”

• “I quit smoking!!”

• “I helped keep our family strong during the hardest time of our lives, when my daughter faced life-threatening health challenges and spent weeks in intensive care. I supported her and our family by advocating for her medical care, managing daily life, caring for our home and pets, and making sure we all stayed mentally and physically strong.”

• “Pulled myself out of a fairly deep mental hole and am still here, with actual plans for 2026.”

• “Graduated with a science degree.”

• “I have come far in my spiritual walk, living out what I believe! My love is real, it’s true, and it lives on!”

• “I came out, had many new and fun gay experiences, and became a lot more confident in myself in general.”

• “I finally worked past my avoidant attachment and was rewarded with the happiest relationship I’ve ever had with a man so amazing I never even imagined he could be real.”

• “I was promoted at work and the accompanying raise allowed me to tell my ex that he no longer has to pay alimony.”

• "Graduating college."

• "Deciding to go with early retirement rather than stressing about having a lot of money."

• "I didn't hit all my goals but I stayed consistent enough to make progress, [which is] something I've struggled with for years."

• "Faced old memories that had been holding me back."

• "Delivering my father's eulogy."

• "My son. He's doing really well. He just turned 12 and he's listening and being a good boy."

• "Being able to pass drinking on some moments that demanded a beer. Or 9."

• "I froze 3 eggs; i's a tiny bit of hope."

• "I found what to do with my life."

• "I let a man go after he told me I'd never be able to."

• "Getting rid of toxic friends and getting off of an SSRI I was on for 22 years."

• "Leaving toxic friendships and getting 100% on a corporate audit for work."

• "Got my driving license."

• "My band put out 2 EPs in 2025."

• "Became more confident in myself and was more comfortable talking to girls."

• “I survived.”

  
  

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.