This post isn’t going to be a rundown of all the things that happened in the world, celebrity deaths, or pop culture moments from 2022. There are other sites and blogs for those things. I’m more interested in exploring what is going on inside each one us.
“Life is a journey.” As cliché as the saying has become in recent times, to me it is one of the truest revelations about life. It is the reason why the end of the year is such a wonderful time for me. I love to reflect and meditate on the lessons I have learned during this part of my journey. I do this at different points during the year, however I really get in that headspace during the month of December. That is usually when I wind down to rest and relax so it is the perfect time to do some self-reflection. Here are some of the big themes of 2022 in my universe:
Minimalism
I started this year on a mission to simplify my home environment and embrace a minimalist lifestyle. I put some real effort into removing junk, clutter, and excess in my home. We started with our closets, getting rid of things we were not using. We worked on our bedrooms and bathrooms next. I still have a long way to go. I lost some of my momentum but I’m ready to leave more things behind that no longer serve me. I’ve decided this will be an annual ritual for me. So, I’m gearing up for the annual purge of 2023, join me!
Dream Bigger and Better
I’m not an entrepreneur, I’m a creative. I’m giving myself permission to create without the stress or obligation of making money doing it. If I’m meant to make a living doing my passion, then it will happen organically but it’s no longer the goal. In the meantime, I’ll enjoy the process and the JOURNEY! This moment of revelation lifted so much stress off my shoulders and it unblocked my creative process. I was able to dream bigger and better things for myself. We are conditioned in a capitalistic society that our goals are not of value unless we receive some form of financial gain. It is ok to do things for the sake of your personal growth and wellness. Now I dream of fun.
Respect Your Body, it’s Your Temple
The biggest theme of 2022 was learning to respect my body. I learned a huge lesson about how fragile our bodies are and the importance of conditioning our bodies. I’ve been more active these past two years than I have been in the previous 20 years, but I still treated my body like I’m in my 20s. I am not. As I approach middle-age, I’m beginning to understand that I need to stretch more, rest often, nourish my body with healthier foods, and hydrate.
New Level of Self-Awareness
I think achieving self-awareness is akin to climbing a mountain. I made a conscious effort to start my journey to becoming more self-aware. I find myself stopping to take moments to reflect on things as they are happening to me or shortly after something has happened. I really want to understand my responses to certain situations. I ask myself these questions more frequently:
Why am I responding this way?
How is this situation making me feel?
What do I want to do about it?
What do I wish I had done differently?
How can I do better next time?
I’m genuinely shocked by what I’m discovering about myself. I also find it interesting what people perceive about me from my actions and the things I say.
These things were definitely pros in the mist of some equally powerful cons. I would be telling a half- truth to only acknowledge the good things that came from living through 2022. There were definitely some things I hope to leave in 2022.
Found Myself Back on the Workaholic Bandwagon It happened so discreetly that it took me months to notice, but I have slipped back into my old bad habits. I fell right back into being a workaholic. Once I converted to a full-time employee at a company I had been contracting for, I became extremely insecure, and I was anxious about the work I was producing. I started neglecting my family and I could tell my carefully placed boundaries were disintegrating. It was during one of my moments of self-reflection, I started to question my intentions, feelings, and motivations. Hopefully, my sudden awareness of this change will allow me to course correct in the coming months.
Made the Sick and Shut-In List
I joke a lot about my injury. (It’s a defense mechanism.) 2022 hasn’t been the breakout year I had planned because of my injury. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t completely over it. I’m ready to walk on my own again. I am bracing myself for the long road to recovery that lies ahead of me. I’m accepting all positive vibes and well wishes.
Tell me what things you discovered about yourself in 2022.
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