BRISALO

December 07, 2025 | Brisalo | The Gentle Pause — Issue 02 (2025)

Before we begin, let’s land together. One breath in – arriving together and one breath out – releasing what isn’t yours to carry into this moment. You’re here. And, I’m so glad you are!

In this issue of Gentle Pause by Brisalo, we will be connecting on Pause, See, Breathe and Grow, and focused on discerning your word of the year and other nuggets to take into the new year – to start, I wanted to share the intention bundle I’m carrying into mine — and how it found me…  Honestly, I didn’t sit down with a list or a worksheet. My word arrived slowly, the way clarity often does. It kept showing up in conversations, in the effortless moments that felt like home, and even in the jarring ones that nudged me gently forward. After weeks of noticing, I realized the same theme kept resurfacing, asking to be acknowledged.  My word for 2026 is PRESENCE — not because it will be easy, but because it is needed.  Around the same time, I found myself drawn to the story of MARY of BETHANY. Not intentionally, I have always been more of a Martha kinda girl – hustle and bustle get things done, but more and more I was nudged, to her sister – Mary of Bethany. She kept showing up in my reading, my thoughts, my therapy sessions, and even in something someone said offhand. Her story mirrors what I’m learning about strength, tenderness, courage, sitting at the feet of Jesus, and taking time in my life to be present for me and for others. It felt like confirmation rather than coincidence.  And because I love anchoring the intangible in something embodied, a color began forming too. I kept noticing TURQUOISE AND RIVER BLUE – in fabrics, in nature, in the moments when I felt most like myself. Eventually I realized: this wasn’t just a preference, it was part of the palette I’m meant to carry into the new year.  I fought against my 2026 Bible Verse for a minute or 50…but finally sat with it for a bit of time and it made sense… JOHN 7:38 (NIV) “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”  It wasn’t dramatic, but it did take me a moment to process and commit; John 7:38 holds my entire year inside one sentence – Presence → Flow – Mary of Bethany sat long enough to receive. Living water is the result of presence, not hustle. My color turquoise/river blue → the imagery of flowing water is literally woven into the verse. My desire to live in alignment rather than pressure → the water flows from within, not from striving, and my human design is learning to move from overflow, not depletion → this verse becomes your energetic anchor. None of these came through effort. They came through paying attention. Through listening. Through breath and becoming — the Brisalo way.

SEE: THE REFLECTION

In the past several months, I’ve been paying attention to this question. Where does my life feel effortless—and where does it feel jarring?  We all have those contrasting textures in our days. Moments that feel soft, natural, almost like the world is opening a small door just for you.  And moments that feel scratchy. A little misaligned. Like your spirit is politely clearing its throat and saying, “This doesn’t feel right, kinda feels icky.”  These contrasts aren’t problems, failures or red flags. They’re signals. They’re invitations into clarity. The moments that feel soft and natural align with your strengths – the scratchy moments don’t. Do you feel like (most days) you are rowing against the current?  As we approach a new year, these whispers begin to shape something else too: the beginnings of the word we’ll walk into the next chapter with.

TAKE A MOMENT: BREATHE

This week, try this:  1. Recall one moment that felt soft, effortless, or deeply you. 2. Recall one moment that felt scratchy or off. 3. Ask yourself: What word is quietly emerging beneath these two moments?  Often your word doesn’t come from brainstorming. It comes from noticing. From paying attention to the subtle shifts your life is already revealing.  Let your word arrive like a guest, not a task.

GROW: ONE GENTLE NEXT STEP

Your word of the year isn’t something to live up to. It’s something to live with.  So here’s your soft invitation for the week ahead:  Move one inch closer to what aligns with your word—and one inch away from what contradicts it.  Tiny shifts count. In fact, tiny shifts are usually the ones that change everything.  And if you feel the stirring of a word but you’re not sure how to honor it… If you feel something shifting in you but you’re unsure how to move with it…  That’s the exact kind of work I love to hold space for. My coaching isn’t about pushing you toward a new year; it’s about helping you listen deeply to the one that’s already unfolding inside you. Helping you name what matters, notice what your body is telling you, and gently step into a rhythm that feels like you.  No pressure. Just presence. Just partnership. Just you, becoming more you.  A question to carry with you: What word is quietly asking to walk with you into the new year? And what’s one small way you might honor it this week? If you’d like to share your word—or explore it together—simply reply. I’d be honored to walk alongside you.

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Brisalo is a human-centered space for reflection and growth.
Through story, coaching, and gentle invitations, we explore life, love, leadership, and the sacred pauses in between.

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December 7, 2025 | Brisalo | The Gentle Pause — Issue 02 (2025)