HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
As it is for many, the new year is a time of reflection… and that’s exactly what I’ve been doing over the last couple of weeks (…or over the last year, if I’m being completely honest). 2022 was an exceptionally pivotal year in my life. I’ve been feeling the need for a new beginning for quite some time and this year, the stars aligned in the most coincidental and incredible way.
If you have been an avid reader since the beginning, you know that I’ve been through quite the journey – especially over the last five years. And it’s not at all the journey that I imagined or even expected. It’s been full of triumph, heartbreak, and many, many lessons learned.
What I love about blogging is that it serves as a sort of time machine for my thoughts. I can read a post from many years ago and not only immediately feel exactly what I felt writing it but now I also understand why I had to go through specific situations. There’s a certain kind of wisdom that I’ve developed over time and I feel so grateful that I can not only see myself objectively through my posts but that I can also share my situations, feelings, thoughts and wisdom with so many of you in an honest and authentic way.
Each year, I go through my old “year in review” reflection posts to see just how far I’ve come as it can be challenging to see this in the moment. Most times, it’s an emotional process and more often than not, I shed a few tears… but not in the way you expect. Instead of feeling victimized by my past, I’ve become more grateful and reassured that even the darkest times make way to an even brighter future and self.
2022 was a year that taught me a lot about life… and about myself. Read on for my 2022 reflection!
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2022 Reflection: A New Beginning
2022 Reflection: Letting Go of the Old
In order to create a new beginning, one must let go of the old. Over the course of 5 years, I’ve let go of so many things – toxic family members and friends, the need for validation, the negative thoughts that once held me back, things that I used to identify with and even certain aspects of my business.
When I was younger, I was told that “changing” was a bad thing. However, now I see that it’s an absolute necessity for growth and personal development. If we are staying the same, we are not growing as people. And this was something that I needed as I felt stuck. I was so used to things being a certain way… so used to ME being a certain way. I’ve realized that as I’ve grown through this process, I’ve become much more open minded about things and much more sure about about not only where I want to go but who I am in this moment.
Letting go of so many things has made me incredibly self-aware. As a former people pleaser, I’m so proud of myself for creating boundaries and sticking with them in every aspect of my life. I’ve learned that I don’t have to allow certain things, people or behaviors into my life if I don’t want to. It’s very true that we show people how we want to be treated.
I let go of my perfectionistic tendencies (for the most part) and the stress and anxiety that comes with planning out the perfect future. It’s so funny to say this but I’ve become a lot more easy going and accepting of situations that don’t fall in line with my “perfect plan.” I’ve become completely unbothered in many aspects and I have to say that I really love this stronger version of myself.
Most importantly, I’ve let go of many of the traits that used to control me – lack of confidence, low self-esteem, feeling unworthy, people pleasing, etc. I’ve since completely reversed a lot of these and as a result, I’ve become MUCH more confident in myself, my abilities and in my decisions. Letting go has allowed me to fill the empty space with things that are more beneficial to my physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health.
Reflecting on 2022: Embracing Change
There are some things in life that are out of our control. Previously this was incredibly difficult for me to deal with. I will be the first to admit that I’ve always been sort of a control freak in certain ways (I blame it on my perfectionism lol) but honestly, this only creates more anxiety. There have also been some things in my life that have remained the same year after year… although it no longer benefits me.
With my new found laissez-faire approach to life, embracing change has been much easier. Instead of fighting tooth and nail to try to control every single outcome, I’ve become much more grateful in every circumstance. And when things don’t go the way I intend, I allow myself to process my feelings in a healthy way while also being grateful for what is to come.
I truly believe that, for the most part, everything happens for a reason. And when an opportunity doesn’t work out, it doesn’t necessarily mean it never will. If that’s the case, it allows for something even better to come along. I’ve had a lot of experience with this throughout my life and nearly every terrible experience has led to a blessing later on. Knowing that it will eventually work out in the way that it’s supposed to makes it much easier to embrace change.
2022 Reflection: Shifting Focus
The previous two have been things that have been in the works for years now but shifting focus is something that came about unxpectedly and organically in 2022. This past year, I had this nagging feeling that I needed to evolve and transform myself. Over the last few years, I’ve changed so much internally that in 2022, the effects started to make their way into other parts of my life.
Things that used to work for me personally and professionally were no longer working. Some things also no longer felt authentic to who I am now. When this happens, I feel like it tends to mean that we’ve outgrown a certain point of our life or certain aspects of ourself. For a while, I felt so lost. I felt like I no longer knew who I was or what I wanted in my life. Everything became much more clear this year, especially within the last few months.
Recently, I’ve been doing a MASSIVE purge. I’ve managed to declutter and organize the entire house… and that’s the easy part. This week, I started working on my closet. I’ve been feeling so held back by stuff…. and not just stuff, but things in general that don’t resonate with who I am anymore. In fact, I’ve been holding on to some clothing for nearly 15 years and so many other things because I’ve been conditioned to have a scarcity mindset. I think that will prove to be my most difficult, emotional and successful declutter yet!
I’ve also completely shifted my focus this past year in regards to my business. You may not see any obvious differences but let me tell you, things are drastically different (in a good way). Although I’m coming up on my 8 year blog anniversary, 2022 was a foundational year in so many aspects. I’ve learned that it’s completely necessary and normal to change things up over time.
Moving Forward in 2023
It’s funny because I feel like every time I share my word of the year, it tends to manifests itself. For 2021, it was growth and WOW was that a year of growth! For 2022, I chose expand and transform… and holy moly, did I ever.
Looking back, the last few years have set a foundation for this year. I truly believe 2023 is the year that I have been waiting for. I’m finally ready to uplevel every aspect of my life. For so long, I put the focus on everyone else or solely on my business. What I’ve learned is that when I focus on myself, things turn out much better and life becomes more enjoyable.
In terms of my word of the year, I’m immediately drawn to “Action.” However, I’m not so sure that I want to focus solely on one or two words for 2023. More supplementary words that come to mind are Intention, Courage, Authenticity and Balance. Ideally, I’d want to focus on one word or habit for each month this year. I’ll be sharing my 2023 goals next week so you can get a better idea of what these words and habits may be 🙂
Lastly, I have to say that I am incredibly grateful to have such an encouraging, supporting and positive community. Truly. I don’t know how I got so lucky! You all are the best friends a gal could ever have <3
Thank you for reading my 2022 reflection!
Wishing you the most magical new year full of good health, happiness, love, and prosperity.
xo
