If you’ve ever picked up The One Who Sees Me by Joan Embola, you’ll know it’s not just fiction. It’s a mirror — painfully honest, deeply healing, and so real that at some point, you pause and ask, “Am I really over that part of my past?”
Reading this book felt like God personally tapping me on the shoulder and saying, “I still see you, even in that mess you’re hiding.” The main character’s journey reminded me that a lot of us are carrying silent shame — not because of what someone else did, but because of what we didn’t do. The dream we abandoned. The opportunity we ignored. The prayer we stopped praying. The forgiveness we never gave ourselves.
Let’s be real — 2025 is not over, but it’s rounding up fast. And while everyone is shouting “last quarter pressure,” many of us are silently stuck, not because we lack the strength, but because we haven’t let go of the guilt.
If this is you, please hear this: forgive yourself. Forgive yourself for not finishing that course. For ghosting your own goals. For the days you said “I’ll start tomorrow” and never did. Carrying the guilt won’t make it right — but grace can make it new.
So, start again. Even if it’s messy. Even if it’s slow. Just start.
And if you haven’t read The One Who Sees Me yet, maybe now is the time. You might just find the permission you’ve been waiting for — to be seen, to be forgiven, and to begin again.
Will you be getting the book?
Let’s talk in the comments.
For more heartfelt reflections, book reviews, and bookish gems, check out the Xandraly Blog. You’ll find all the encouragement (and gist) you need to keep reading, learning, and growing.
