Reflecting on 2024: Lessons in Growth and Connection
As Adam and I take a moment to reflect on 2024, we find ourselves contemplating how we measure success—and how that perspective transforms when we pause to truly appreciate the moments that have shaped our year.
I’m writing this from the eastern coast of Australia, where I’m visiting family for the holidays. Yesterday, something extraordinary happened: my brother, sister, and I ventured out alone for a kayak on the lake. Leaving our phones and wallets behind, we embraced the adventure. We paddled alongside black swans, pelicans, and a family of eagles. It felt like perfection—until my brother’s old truck refused to start. Its backup battery was also dead, leaving us to push it up a dirt road for a running jumpstart. Laughing, hollering, and straining together, we finally got the engine to roar to life. My sister turned to me and said, “This, we’ll remember forever.”
That unexpected, imperfect moment feels like a perfect metaphor for 2024. This year rarely went as planned, but it gifted us with moments of connection and growth that we’ll carry forward.
We found ourselves on a windswept beach at Assateague National Park in Maryland with teens from More Than Fitness, enduring a wild windstorm. Half the group ended up sleeping in the van after their tent collapsed, while the other half wrapped themselves like burritos in their tents, snoring happily.
After that chaotic first night at basecamp, we regrouped, repaired tents, and hiked to our trail camp. When these teens returned from their 24-hour solo fasts, they brought back stories and insights that stopped us in our tracks. Every time Adam visits More Than Fitness, these young people eagerly run up to say hello, share hugs, and tell him what’s new in their lives.
We stood alongside some of the nation’s brightest minds—Air Force personnel, leaders from the largest construction and aerospace companies, and nuclear engineers—facilitating radical teaming to tackle seemingly impossible challenges critical to the safety and security of the United States and the world.
We trained U.S. military chaplains in open listening, storytelling, and the principles of non-coercion within listening circles.
We joined scientists and environmentalists on the Oregon coast to help restore watersheds across complex community and regulatory boundaries.
With our country's veterans, we spent five winter nights in the backcountry of the Sespe Wilderness, gathered around fires sharing stories of pain and recovery. And we traveled to the tip of Kachemak Bay in Alaska, as another group rediscovered strength and purpose amid breathtaking wilderness.
We partnered with founders like those at Bonito, helping them move beyond “should haves” to create a coffee company that supports farmers, workers, and customers alike.
In our first Strength to Serve program, we ventured into the Pacific Northwest wilderness with individuals serving in some of society’s most challenging and complex areas. Time and again, we witnessed courage, care, and a willingness to step into change, even when the path ahead was uncertain.
If I were to define 2024, I’d say it was a year rooted in the heart of change. It required balancing hard work with stepping back, trusting ourselves, each other, and the transformative nature of change. It demanded courage to let go and move into uncharted territory.
That morning on the lake with my siblings wasn’t just about pushing a truck. It opened space to restart a difficult conversation that came from connection rather than competition. It reminded me that growth often emerges through challenge—when we choose to open up instead of shutting down.
As we look ahead to 2025, we remain committed to bringing people together and venturing into wild places where the power of nature—within and around us—can guide and restore. We aim to continue building a community of adventurers, sharing stories, learning together, choosing connection over isolation, and turning that connection into meaningful action.
Thank you for walking this path with us. Let’s continue to seek moments of hope, love, and courage—together.
With gratitude,
Miriam Jones
Send me the latest blog post
More posts
A Dry River
Fear, the Tax Collector: The Stakes of Change and the Costs of Avoiding It (Part 2)
Vertical and Horizontal Change: Beyond the Window Dressing
Stay in Touch
Sign-up for the Open Circle newsletter to receive updates on upcoming classes, events, and much more.