I don’t know about you, but I can’t begin to fathom that this year is almost over. In two weeks, we’ll be ushering in a brand new year and like many of you I’m wondering, “Where did the time go?!” Where countless people like to create resolutions for themselves to shift to a newer and better version, I tend to veer on the side of the current version of who I am. I reflect on the things that’ve happened over the year that have allowed me to become the person I am right now. Sort of like Ebenezer Scrooge, I’m mentally visited by the Three Mes – of Past, Present and Yet to Come. What lessons did I learn? What did I let go of? What hurt yet healed me? What do I now realize is for my highest and greatest good? A year can reveal truths you didn’t know and surprises you didn’t see coming.
In all candor, I went into this year with no expectations. The previous year left all of us pretty drained and I think all I truly wanted was peace and wouldn’t you know it, that’s exactly what I manifested! You see, sometimes we don’t even have to say what we need. It just comes, because it’s time for it to appear. This year in particular, I was present with the lesson of self-care. Now, we hear the word self-care often in relation to spa days, lazy Sunday afternoons or choosing an outing that is just for you. All of which are amazing ways to cater to yourself, but for me I had to go a bit deeper. I’ve always been very vocal about the importance of mental wellness as I’m someone who struggles with both depression and anxiety. I had to become intentional about how I took care of ME. This meant walking away from places, things and people that were no longer serving me. The rose-colored glasses that I was wearing began to fade and I began to see things for what they were and not what I simply wanted them to be.
As gloomy as this may sound, I assure you it has and is serving me well. I began to realize that by seeing things in the clear, I was able to make decisions that were best for me. No longer am I concerned with what others think or feel about my moves, because the moves I’m making aren’t for anyone else but myself. This year, I made myself the priority whereas in years past I was always the option. I forced myself to be more cognizant of the energy I was exerting and of the same was being reciprocated. I observed that some of the people that were in my world were no longer conducive to who I’d become. I was going into environments with people where I was simply tolerated and not celebrated. That was a major takeaway for me – an Ah Ha moment! To operate in places where I can grow and that growth is celebrated. Where the person I am today acknowledges that I’ve taken steps to take my power back and understands that I never really lost it to begin with.
What has this year taught you? What have been your takeaways? Each year brings with it so many interesting things, but I wonder do we ever take the time to reflect if we were a part of those fascinating finds? If not, then I encourage you to set up a self-care day and do some self-reflecting. The best kind of year is a year in which you’re learning, growing and celebrated. If it the celebration is a party of one.
