New Beginnings
Whew. So, it's over. 2017--the year of...well, there are really too many adjectives, verbs and hyperbolic phrases that could be inserted there, so that's where I think we should start.
I am a huge fan of moving forward--I don't even like to put my car in reverse if I can help it--true story--but I also recognize the value of taking a backward glance from time to time. I mean, how else can you see:
1) how far you've gone
2) how much you've left to go
3) where the twists, turns and pot holes in the roads were
Now, for me, of all of those, #3 means the most. Like I said, I am a fan of moving forward, but most of the time, the natural enemy to forward thinking or really any kind of positive progression, is repetition. The repetition of a mistake is the most obvious deterrant to progression because it usually means going backward, but even repeating things that worked out for you can be detrimental to progress because it could mean that you are comfortable and not taking any more risks, and then, consequently, you can't "really" progress. Personally, I like to see where things went bananas for me, or where I made a wrong turn, or how taking the shortcut would've helped me had I only listened to someone else.
So, usually right around now, I allow me the time I need to take stock of my personal and professional situations.
I should do this more often than just the start of a new year, I know this, but something about the symbolism of starting at 1 just speaks to me, so here I am.
What I noticed I did way too much last year was to let things that were either out of my control, or not really fixable in the first place, define who I was. As a result, I spent too much of 2017 feeling like a colossal failure.
Thus, for 2018, I have decided to form BOTH an interpretation and a life plan from something I read by accident over break. It was a quote from a long-dead German author named Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (that G name is actually pronounced "Gert-A), and it states: "Things that matter most should never be at the mercy of things that matter least."
I am trying to find a sign that says that, but so far, no luck.
Now, its your turn.
First--I want you to fill in that sentence I started at the beginning: "2017--the year of ____________". Explain your choice.
Second, of the three reasons I listed for why looking back is good, which one do you see the most value in and why? Explain in detail.
Finally, moving forward in whatever area of life you want to focus on, how would you like to proceed that is AT LEAST marginally different then whatever you did last year?
I am a huge fan of moving forward--I don't even like to put my car in reverse if I can help it--true story--but I also recognize the value of taking a backward glance from time to time. I mean, how else can you see:
1) how far you've gone
2) how much you've left to go
3) where the twists, turns and pot holes in the roads were
Now, for me, of all of those, #3 means the most. Like I said, I am a fan of moving forward, but most of the time, the natural enemy to forward thinking or really any kind of positive progression, is repetition. The repetition of a mistake is the most obvious deterrant to progression because it usually means going backward, but even repeating things that worked out for you can be detrimental to progress because it could mean that you are comfortable and not taking any more risks, and then, consequently, you can't "really" progress. Personally, I like to see where things went bananas for me, or where I made a wrong turn, or how taking the shortcut would've helped me had I only listened to someone else.
So, usually right around now, I allow me the time I need to take stock of my personal and professional situations.
I should do this more often than just the start of a new year, I know this, but something about the symbolism of starting at 1 just speaks to me, so here I am.
What I noticed I did way too much last year was to let things that were either out of my control, or not really fixable in the first place, define who I was. As a result, I spent too much of 2017 feeling like a colossal failure.
Thus, for 2018, I have decided to form BOTH an interpretation and a life plan from something I read by accident over break. It was a quote from a long-dead German author named Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (that G name is actually pronounced "Gert-A), and it states: "Things that matter most should never be at the mercy of things that matter least."
I am trying to find a sign that says that, but so far, no luck.
Now, its your turn.
First--I want you to fill in that sentence I started at the beginning: "2017--the year of ____________". Explain your choice.
Second, of the three reasons I listed for why looking back is good, which one do you see the most value in and why? Explain in detail.
Finally, moving forward in whatever area of life you want to focus on, how would you like to proceed that is AT LEAST marginally different then whatever you did last year?
A lot happened this past year to me and it made me open my eyes just a little bit more…
ReplyDelete2017 for me was the year of exploring. I have tried new things, I’ve meant new people, and I’ve made new memories that I will never forget. I guess I can say I value how far I have gone in life just by last year and it makes me more of a teenager blossoming into an adult. I look back at myself visualizing a shy girl that was afraid of change, and trying new things, but in the year of 2017 I grown into a confident, outgoing girl that has tried new things and explored a little glimpse of life. It has been a year since my parents divorced and I think that has made me grow as a person. It made me take on more responsibilities and grow up. I also went to my first party in 2017. It may seem stupid to say that I valued that, but it made me enjoy my teenage years and also made me excited for more. Parties also made me feel more grown up because I got to see that my mom trusts me in doing these things. I also explored and went out of my comfort zone by going to a concert with my friends without adults! That may seem cheesy, but it is something I will never forget and will look back at and smile. That was the best night of my life thus far.
Moving forward in the new year I want to dig deep and find myself more. I am learning to embrace everything about me and love myself. Not saying I didn’t before, just saying I want to more! I am the type of person to care a lot about my friends and family. Maybe I care for some people more than they care about me, and I want to change that because I don’t need that n my life. I also am giving out all positive vibes and no bs. Bs causing stress, and stress causes pimples… that’s one less thing I want in life. 2018 Is the year of me and achieving personal goals I set for myself, and maintaining a life that I want. Iam focusing more on my grades and taking every class seriously. I am going to be on top of my game all 2018 and I am so excited !
For me 2017 was the year of learning and growing. Learning about my values, what I believe in, and who I am as a person. In the beginning of the year I realized that I value being happy in the present. Ever since my freshman year I’ve told myself to take more chances because I don’t like living with regrets. So since then I’ve developed a “fuck it I’ll do it” mentality to most things. I don’t like worrying about the future and possible consequences because I enjoy living in the present. I understand this can sound reckless but I make sure to keep myself under control most times. I’ve learned to keep this under control like I’ve learned to get rid of unhealthy mentalities that I developed in high school. I’ve learned many lessons throughout this year about bad mentalities and about myself. But of course you can’t learn without making some mistakes. So some of the most important came at the cost of my relationship. But like I said, it was a year of learning and growing, and I am certain that I have become a better person because of it.
ReplyDeleteI think number three is the most important. Looking back you can see where things have gone wrong. You can learn from these situations and avoid the same problems in the future.
Moving forward in 2018 I want to reach my goals. Such as physical/atheltic goals I’ve set for myself, bringing my grades up even higher (not failing AP Calc), and be MAYBE mediocre at time management. I want to also continue taking chances and living happily in the moment while making memories. Because shoot its already 2018 and life only gets faster.
2017 was never a good year for me until the month of February, when I met the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. Otherwise, it was a horrifying year at the most. I don't see anything besides finding love from 2017, really. But if I had to say what kind of year it was for me, 2017 was a year closer to my freedom from being trapped at home. I truly despise my home life: I get told negative things about myself, I have a sexist father, I have no power to complain or state how I really feel about anything because I'm their child and they're my parents (which is the excuse my mother always uses whenever I have a good reason for anything: "I'm your parent, you're my child, whatever I say will always be right!"), I'm not allowed to visit anyone, I'm limited on activities I'm allowed to do because of how strict my mother is, and much more. I get yelled at a lot and always get blamed for anything just because I don't want to always agree with my mother. My father threatened to take away all of my privileges (phone, computer, any social contact with people outside of my home) unless I got my grades to what he desired. I can understand the grading part, but taking away everything that I have like that? I hate it. I'm probably spoiled, though.
ReplyDeleteThey want me t stay with them through all of the years I go to college (my father even specifically chose what college I'd go to before even telling me: two years of ACCC then two years of Stockton, because he says I'm not smart enough to get a scholarship, which I agree with). I've always been planning on moving out as soon as I graduate, and I know it's not a good idea financially, but I'm so desperate to get freedom, however treacherous and unkind the real world may be. How far I've gone? It's important to me because I never expected to get this far. I had always been seriously thinking about harming myself or running away, but I've met wonderful people who helped me change my mind. I'm going to try to enjoy myself more this year, try to get myself more self-confidence and get stronger for at home.
2017 was a year of mistakes. I’ve made a lot of mistakes overtime but i feel like my worst mistakes were made in 2017. I spent a lot of my time focusing on the wrong things, putting energy into to things that should be left dead , and trying so damn hard to please people who don’t even understand me. So, for 2018 i would like too feel comfortable in my own skin, i would like to be able to be myself , & i would really like to make friends. The worst feeling is having so much to say but being terrified to say it because you don’t know how people will react, & you always assume that they will label you as “not worth a glance” “ not intelligent enough” “ not pretty enough”. This year I’m going to gain more confidence , i want to be able to look everyone in the eyes and speak my mind freely without being afraid. This year I’m going to figure who I am , and I’m going to be the best me i can be.
ReplyDelete2017–the year of hurting so bad but living so good. I had first saw this while reading a book written by Rupi Kaur the day before New Year’s Eve, 2017. It was so ironic how I read that sentence at the perfect time of the year. 2017 held some of the happiest and some of the saddest moments I’ve ever experienced, so that sentence stuck out to me.
ReplyDeleteOut of the three reasons listed for why looking back is good, the one I see the most value in is how far I´ve come. I feel as though #3 is involved in #1, for the reason that all of the potholes and bumps in the road gave me direction. I feel as though #2 is not always looked at in a positive light. I believe that the number one reason why people give up so fast is because they see how far they still have to left to go instead of how far they’ve gotten. Even if I’m not where I want to be, I’m not where I used to be, and I’m more than proud of myself for that.
2018 will be the year I remain focused on myself. As much as I may say I don’t care what other people think, 2017 did me dirty when it came to the petty rumors and lies and how much I let them affect me. 2017 also did me pretty rough when it came to my emotions, and how I didn’t have such a handle on them when I was hurt, upset, angry, or just down. I plan on continuing to work on myself all 2018 while living the best life I possibly can, and I will continue learning and growing as a person in the process.
2017 the year of fun, thoughts, headaches, challenges, and pure joy. 2017 was a growing period for me, I learned many new things, had lots of fun, met new people, faced new challenges, ignited old flames, and really just had a good time.
ReplyDeleteOut of the three questions the one that I see the most value in is number three. The reason I value number three is because as I progress, I like to analyze my mistakes and see where I went wrong and how I could of fixed or changed the mistake. Once I figured out where I went wrong and how I could of changed the outcome, no matter how hard I try to get my mess up out of my mind I always wonder how the situation could have turned out and the different side of the story either a day or a week after the mistake was already done.
Moving forward in 2018 I just want to be the best that I can be, try not to make as much mistakes and mess ups as last year, (even though you do learn from them I just hate when they happen, especially a huge one) and try to be a better figure of myself from 2017.
For me 2017 was a year of loss. I lost my best friend to her relationship, I lost my uncle to alcoholism, and towards the end of 2017 to the beginning of 2018 I am slowly losing my abuelo. How far I have come holds the most importance to me because it shows how I over came things and grew as a person I do not like looking back because dwelling on the past never helps. Also thinking of the challenges I faced sometimes brings that pain back up so honestly I just love to see how far I've come and How I've made it to the person I am today. This year I will focus on me. I will not rely on anyone for anything. I need to do whats best for me because I always put people before myself that end up screwing me over in the end. Need to further myself in all aspects rather than worrying about benefiting other peoples lives. This year will be a better year for me and my family and I am hoping that the tragedies will be lesser this year considering I have my best friend with me, my mom.
ReplyDeleteI lost my best friend to, just because they got in a relationship. How can people forget about you when you’ve been with them since day 1, how can people forget about how good of a friend you’ve been to them just because they find a bf/gf, was all of our friendship just a joke to you, just a place holder for someone you think is better. @Kayla Cimidori for aryel @Victoria Herring for Me
Delete2017, the year of liberation. I have been freed from my need to depend on others to hold me emotionally together, and I have been freed myself from the social limits I made myself follow, and have almost freed myself from allowing people thoughts to determine what I do. I feel liberated, I am slowly allowing myself to be me. Looking back in life is depressing, yet important though to see how far you’ve come. I’ve recovered from so much pain, I find it crazy that I’m still sane today. Last year was a year for me….till the end. I tried so many new things; I worked a fun job, had one of the best friendships imaginable, got good grades, made new friends, and switched schools. Despite all the great things that happened I don’t really notice them, some of the worst things I will ever have to expedite happened this year. I also lost my best friend, in the worst way possible. It torn me down piece by piece since late August, I’ve only just started recovering truly since the end of December. The pain was so bad I couldn’t do anything, no homework, no talking to other people, being restless, and me randomly breaking down at least once a week. I put too much faith in someone, I usually don’t put faith in anyone, besides a very small few. I can trust you not to tell my secrets, but to put my faith in you to always have my best interest in your heart is a lot for me. Starting this year I want to open my horizons and get to know new people, and leave toxic relationships in the past. I’m finally being me, I may not be truly happy yet, or for a long time, but I can say the first week and a half of this New Year has been better than the months from September to December, which happens to be my favorite time of the year. One of my goals is to forget my grudges against people, which I want to do, but seeing certain people still makes my blood boil, so we’ll work on that later.
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ReplyDelete2017, the year of new and change. Every year when the ball drops I try to think of a word for the new year. Whether it is God given or just by thought. This year is the year of change. Every year since I was in 8th grade I was known as the quiet one. I was never the person to be outspoken or share my jokes with people other than my friends. Most all of my friends were made because we are all awkward. All quiet and unsure how to deal with big social situations. Which means I have no one to look to in those situations, no one to break me out of my shell. This year I would like to be a different person almost. Show off a part of me only my closest friends have seen. Get over all forms of anxiety and break from my shell. I think that to me the most important thing is how far I've gotten. It gives me hope that there is more to come. Knowing that I am where I am now. The changes are small but big in my eyes.
ReplyDelete2017 - the year of awakening. This was the year that reality set in about my future after high school. My stomach turned, from excitement and nervousness, every time I thought about what I need to do to prepare myself for the next chapter in my life. Although I am not graduating until 2019, I realized that 2017 was a critical year to begin putting plans in motion for college. First, I stopped procrastinating about taking the SAT. I know that I don't always do well on standardized tests but I knew that I had to get a baseline score to determine the areas of improvement. Second, I made the decision to play soccer in college. I have played soccer for many years and was at the point that I thought I was tired of the sport. But in reality, deep down inside I thought I wasn't good enough to play at the college level. However, during 2017, I attended a few college showcases and received interest from some coaches; that was a major awakening for me! Finally, and most importantly, the light bulb clicked that I needed to put more effort in my studies if I want to get accepted in the college of my choice. I am not 100% where I want to be but I am working hard every day.
ReplyDeleteReflecting back on your life is always a good thing because it gives you a chance to pat yourself on the back and remember all you have accomplished. Often times, we look at life as a glass half empty and think about what we have not done instead of being proud of what we have learned and what we have accomplished. We can always find a lot of reasons for being a pessimist, but it doesn’t mean that you should. Reflecting on my accomplishments helps me to remain optimistic about my future opportunities.
As I move into 2018, my goal is to continue to work hard both academically and athletically. I started off the year on a positive note. I am more organized and continue to prioritize my daily activities, with school being the number one priority. I am narrowing down my list of colleges and we be scheduling college visits in the spring. I will also be attending a few college camps for soccer which will give me more exposure to college coaches. It will also give me the opportunity to gain feedback regarding areas of improvement. I am looking forward to 2018 since this is an important year that will set the stage for my future.
In the end of 2016 I made a list of all the new things I’d tried that year, like my first kiss for example, (at the old age of fourteen, sad I know). I decided to make a new list at the start of 2017 which I kept in my iPhone notes- the same place I made the first list and also every blog post. This way the moment something new and exciting happened I could record it in my notes. My 2017 list of new things certainly outweighed 2016, I think that’s because 2017 was a year of growing. Just growing. I became stronger and wiser in some areas, and also did a lot of dumb things, all of which resulted in either life lessons or just good stories. I’ve learned a lot this past year, it’s almost as if my whole life the world was a 3D movie but I was only wearing sun glasses. Now I have 3D glasses, and looking out into the real word, I can see the fog of my adolescence lift as everything suddenly looks to be more clear and less filtered, and now I see the world for what it really is. Now I have my own opinions and my own views. Now I make my own decisions. Now I don’t care about the same things I used to. Everything is different, because I’m growing up.
ReplyDeleteFor me the most important thing to reflect on is how far I’ve come. It’s not hard to feel like you’re stuck, like you’ve gotten nowhere. Especially when it comes to dance, I practice and train nearly everyday but progress isn’t always so obvious from day to day. When I get discouraged I look back on old dance videos to see how far I’ve come.
Every year I think I have the same goal overall, I just wanna be happy, whatever that means. This year I honestly haven’t really set goals other than to continue to grow and become the best version of myself.
2017 was the year of new outlooks. Throughout the year, my thoughts about many topics have changed such as mental illness, addiction, and even Hollywood. This has come from experience and being exposed to the media. Allegations of sexual harassment have brought attention to famous actors with disturbing pasts. In my opinion, they deserve everything they are getting if the information is true. I know some disgusting humans who would lie about a subject like this just to get attention and I hope that everyone who has come forward has been truthful. The industry is much more corrupt than I originally thought.
ReplyDeleteWhen you are on your way towards a goal it’s sometimes hard to see how far you have come and this can be discouraging. Therefore number one is the most valuable to me. We only ever do something to get results and results come from change. If we can’t see change, there’s no reason to do anything.
In 2017 I tended to be very hard on myself and only ever did something about it until the later part of the year. Nothing was ever good enough for myself because I thought nothing I did was good for anyone else. My mindset has changed in part because of my lack of caring about what’s “good enough” for others. I intend to continue to give myself a break about certain things that aren’t important. Hopefully this will lower my stress and overall make me happier.
Hopefully 2018 will be the year of justice and change. The new “Time’s Up” movement is a campaign with a future. I continue to try and stay optimistic about my future because it overall makes me force myself to be in a better mood and it is my preferred mindset usually.
2017– the year of discovery. In 2017, I started the year off crappy by having someone over knowing my parents were alcoholics and my stepdad can be gross; most know what I mean. January was typical, I had a boyfriend at the time and we were really happy together but “as a boy” distance was not an option and instead of keeping me til college he decided it was more humane to free me on Groundhogs Day first period of the day. I got six more weeks of winter and I lost 10lbs in two days. I only know because I had and MMA competition on the fourth. I was tired and nervous. It was my first time in the expert division and I was bumped up a weight class so my weight loss didn’t even come in handy. I had been defeated in my eyes. I was helpless. The first few minutes of the match showed that. Then, something snapped. I was furious. At myself. Naturally my instincts took over and I finished the match with a choke and I took home a championship belt. I felt good. Then March, my birthday came and went and was fun I went out and had dinner with my family and then I packed my bags for Florida. The choir took a trip last year and I had spent all summer ‘16 !working to go. It was time. I went on a plane for the first time (p.s. takeoff scared me and I cried but then I loved it so it was interesting) and experienced Disney world. which was sooo much fun. I began to feel free. April gave me my permit and a trip to Boston at the end. I got to experience and IBJJF tournament, which is amazing. I also, got to experience a FTW tournament which was also a blast. Things really started to be fun for me. May have my my lifeguarding certificate and a job that paid well. It also gave me a man who caused trouble towards the end of our relationship when he proved we was not a man but a very very childish boy. However, we did have good times too. June gave me a friend at my new job (lifeguarding at Hess) and a nice tan since I basically lived at the pool or the beach. July gave me a second job lifeguarding at Sunrise Bay, where the people are surprisingly friendly and offer to buy me wings or play catch with me everyday. August gave me band camp where I reconnected with my girls. It also made me experience how scary it can be when a man offers to be your sugar daddy and won’t leave the pool area until your parents show up. Not a fun experience but a new one. August let me release my bunnies back into the wild (my dogs had found them the year before and they needed rehab) and my uncle came back into my life. I did another NAGA tournament which made me miss IBJJF but it was still fun. September taught me what AP classes are really like. October showed me that I am a lot stronger mentally than I thought and I began to really connect with others and myself again. I was less scared to feel. November showed me that “blood” is a term absent family members use to make you feel bad but “friendship” in its pure form lasts forever. December showed me my family is falling apart. It also showed me that the man I was beginning to love was beginning to be violent. I didn’t want that. I still love all of the people that I have ever loved even if we can’t all get along. This year I definitely discovered what I wanted out of life a bit more. I’ve always put happiness as my goal but I’ve worked for that very little. I discovered that I won’t be taken for granted and I won’t be beaten. Every loss is a lesson and it doesn’t mean defeat it means that there is room to grow. What is life if you can’t continue to grow and love? So my favorite part is seeing how far I’ve come. The year started and I thought I lost a very important person, I learned a lesson, to be guarded is to be safe. I shut down a lot but somehow I made it to the surface for air and I’ve let go of most of my bad memories. Granted my memory is terrible but overall this year was worth it.
ReplyDeleteEvery up and down and twist or pothole is worth it. The year started and I felt lost, the year is ending and I feel more whole on my own that I have ever felt. It’s comforting to see how far I’ve come and looking forward I would like to make more conscious efforts to keep unity in my family. I want to do more to help everyone understand each other and love each other. Guards have been up for years, none of us are good at communicating our emotions, but all it takes is a little bit of effort and appreciation for others to make them want to do the same.
Delete2017, is the new four letter word, it fits in the category with all other curse words.
ReplyDelete2017 was the year of regret. Did I regret it all? Heck no. Do I ever actually regret anything? No, because everything happens for a reason, but 2017 was filled with lots of regret.
2017 started with a bang, literally a banger, yanno because that's the absolute cool thing to do which turned into a night filled with drama and resulted in a loss of lots of friends; a great way to start fresh right? I experienced some heartbreak in the first few weeks but I got threw it and over it. Come February, everything was just right. I found a new person that would make me happy, and I was happy for sure: no title, no nothing. How does that mean happy then? It doesn’t, come 10 months later still no title and I felt used and “emptied” of everything i had to offer but still every single time he needed something I was there for him. I regret that, and I probably always will, I sacrificed my own happiness for a guy who already had his own. (Girls, know your worth, then add tax, because if you don't you'll end up used and abused, also love yourself before you let anyone else love you, because if you don't you wont know your worth.) That was a giant part of my 2017. In the middle of all that my pride, my joy, my grandmom had passed away, I regret not spending more time with her, I regret not sitting at home with her more, I regret losing her before I could tell her so much, I’ll now live the rest of my life knowing my grandmom never knew the real me, she’d be mad at me when I would have told her because she was a giant advocate for purity and lots changed me, I’d do anything just to have one conversation I had with her, because I can't recall the last one I had with her.
Of the three, I feel (1) how far i’ve gone is the most important. I’ve come along way, I've experienced a lot more than most 16 year olds should, yet i’m still here going strong. I’m proud of my achievements. I say pretty frequently, “the reason I try is for my grandfather and the promises i’ve made to my grandmom”, i made them so undeniably proud when i made varsity scholar my freshman year, then again my sophomore year. I believe without them I wouldn’t have a good head on my shoulders and be motivated enough to do JROTC and to be one of the top 5 cadets in the program, let alone to have made it all the way to 2nd Lieutenant. I’m gonna do big things, i’m gonna make people proud, and more importantly i’m going to be the best I can be.
Come 2018 my one wish in life is to be happy, this is my final opportunity to enjoy my teenage years. Lots is about to come my way: my license, a job, end of the school year and summer, then finally my senior year, it's gotta start now if I truly want to be happy. It’s time to focus on myself, to be able to carry a smile on my face and genuinely mean it is what i aspire to do, to know my worth, and to stand up for what I believe in, will all allow me to be happier. 2018 will be my year, the year of purity, the year of happiness.
All in all I regret 2017 , but 2018 I wont be able to say the same.
2017 - the year of failure. Every year I write down a couple goals some I accomplish and others I may not though this past year I didn’t accomplish one goal( I only had three). My first goal was to take time for myself and to stop trying to please everyone. Next was to focus and get better grades in school and lastly was to rehab my injury(correctly). Number two means the most to me because looking back at the past year has taught me a ton of stuff such as where I go from here so that I can accomplish these goals. Looking back is a very good thing to do and to be frank I probably dwell on the past more than I should though looking back can give you a clearer picture, teach you lessons you wouldn't have learned otherwise and finally to appreciate what you've done and what you still need to do. Moving forward in 2018 im going to accomplish my goals from last year while tackling new ones. I am determined to have this year be known as my comeback year not just in swimming and school rather for myself. This year i'm going to make myself a priority instead of pleasing others because truth be told you're always going to disappoint someone I just am going to make sure its not myself. Here’s to 2018 being my year you know what they say new year, new me.
ReplyDelete2017 was… well 2017 was a year of a lot of things. A year of mistakes, tragedy, discoveries and too many other things to get in by midnight. I think I’ll say that 2017 was a year of lessons (more than a year usually would be). We had to learn how to adjust our lives with new elected and appointed officials. We had to learn how to how these people empowered and gave pride to groups we foolishly thought weren’t around anymore. We learned that being the first to speak up can give courage to others. I began to learn how to analyze my mistakes, instead of simply recognizing them. I learned that sometimes things just won’t go your way, and you have to live with it. I learned that I can’t let one bad thing ruin all the other good things I have. I learned that I need to follow my heart, yet still listen to my brain and my gut. I’ve learned a lot in 2017, and I’m sure everyone else has as well. The main thing I want from 2017 is for its lessons to stick with me.
ReplyDeleteWhen looking in retrospect of an entire year, the most inspiring is to simply witness how far you’ve come. If you progressed, it’s a good feeling to remember who you were at the beginning of the year and who you are now that the year has come to a close. Though, I do agree that it is good to remind yourself of what lays ahead and be wary of where the rough patches were in case a similar situation arise. Yet in the end, knowing that you have the ability to change who you are if you decide to is so important - whether you believe that you were a better person past or not.
This year, I want to work on my communication. With myself, with others, and most importantly with God. I may not be super into religion and I may not identify with a certain faith, but I do believe in God. And at the end of the day, if I feel like I can’t talk to anyone else in the world, I know that I can always talk to God. Who are they going to tell? The devil? I hope not :/. Either way, talking to God is an easy way to get something off my chest as soon as I’m willing to release it because I can write, talk aloud, or simply think of what I would like to say to God. Last year - and every year before- I knew my communication skills when it came to personal matters were shit. I either bottled things up, or let all the things I shouldn’t have to someone who didn’t deserve to know. So, I plan to think about who I’m talking to before I open my mouth. And when I do decide to open up, I need to be 100% sure I need to make sure it’s the right person. I’ve already seen progress with this part of my life. I’d like to think I’m doing something different because that’s more than I can say about 2017. Moving forward into 2018 and years to come after that, I believe that if you decide to make a personal change and actually do something about it, it was a year of positive changes. If you manage to have success in your “resolution” , it was a year of moving forward and growing. I hope to be able to say that about 2018.
2017-- the year that felt like stepping on legos barefoot on a Monday morning..
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning of 2017, I thought it would be my year. My ideal dreams came true and I had goals set for myself that I thought I wanted at the time, but over the course of the year I realized I could advance my goals and reach a higher level than what I set for myself. Everything seemed to be going good but then about halfway into the year is when 2017’s “honeymoon stage” ended. Shit. Got. Real.
Nightmares started to creep into reality and the worst part of it all, I was completely blind to it. Personal battles started to get harder to fight. People who should’ve been a reality, turned into a memory and I think that’s something that broke me the most. The rumors, the lies, miscommunications and all the other typical “high school normality” situations got to me. I let a lot of situations that happened get the best of me and I started to judge myself based upon my wrong doings. That’s why out of the list given, Number 1 (how far you’ve gone) really stood out. In order to move on, you need to be aware of how far you have already gone. This is what kept me sane and stopped me from judging myself. I feel like 3 is a part of 1 too. I believe this because in order to see how far you have gotten you have to acknowledge the bumps in the road that led you to where you are now.
Don’t get me wrong, it was a rough year but I am extremely grateful to be able to wake up every morning and I’ll always remember 2017 for the good over the bad.
Here’s to 2018-- the year of regaining composure.
This year I will better myself physically, mentally and socially. I will NOT accept bs or negativity from anyone. I will focus on me so I can be the best version of myself I can possibly be. You know what they say, An apple a day keeps anyone away.. if you throw it hard enough; and that’s just how I’m coming this year. #Nobadvibes2018.
2017--the year full of learning. 2017 was the year I learned how to be my own person. Before last year I was extremely codependent on the people surrounding me to provide me with the happiness and love that I lacked within myself. Of the three reasons, the first is the most important to me. Since 2016, I have learned to love myself more than I ever have before and although it may not be as much as I should, I continue to work on it every day. I have learned in many ways how to communicate better with people and not be so closed off when it comes to meeting and talking to new people. 2017 has taught me how to stick up for myself and not just take what’s handed to me. It’s taught me how to love other people, healthily. It’s taught me how to have better articulation in my speaking and not just my writing. It’s taught me that I am capable of so many things beyond what I assumed of myself previously. I have learned to not be so extremely open with people I want to trust instead of people I know I can trust. In 2018 I look forward to continuing to improve my mental status but my physical status as well. Throughout 2017 there were point where I was really into working out and getting fit but then having distractions or bad days turn my rest days into rest weeks, into rest months. I plan on becoming the person I know I can and strive to be.
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