I love taking time at the end of each year to pause and review everything that happened and what I learned. Each year is a gift, and although some lessons might have been difficult, I treasure each one. I had moments of joy, moments of sadness, and everything in between, and I hope I gleaned wisdom from every one of them.
This life is precious, as well as each of its instants. This year, I threw myself into the river of life, and I learned, I learned, and I learned. I challenged many of my internal demons and obstacles, and I faced them all, one by one, even the most unpleasant ones. I also let myself be lifted by joy and happiness and surrender to those beautiful feelings.
I learned, and here is what I realized:
To Enjoy
This year, I spent time doing things I enjoyed doing, even when I felt guilty that I was not being productive. I have never wasted time in my life. I remember receiving a report card in fifth grade with a comment from my teacher that said: she uses her time productively. I laugh because that is when it all started.
But this year was different because I spent time playing, talking, traveling, and laughing, and now I realize how serious I have been about the responsibilities I have adopted. What I learned after this shift in behavior is that I can carry my work differently, and more lightly. It’s not that I didn’t have fun before, but this is a whole other level for which I am deeply grateful, a much more fun one.
The Power of Meditation
I have been experimenting with meditation for a few years, but it was not until last year that I started meditating seriously. Since November 2021, I have been meditating for over an hour and a half every single day. At first, making that kind of time in my schedule was hard, and everything felt tight, from my time at the gym to my reading time.
But once I saw the benefits that meditating was having in my life, meditation became my priority. I have been practicing every day, making time no matter what. And what a practice. Once my mind started to become quieter, my life seemed to flow more easily. I would notice when I was getting caught up in something and was able to quickly let it go.
I also noticed how my emotions became more level, and a sense of peace started to pervade my life. This is not to say I do not get angry or upset, because I certainly do, but meditation has changed how I react. When I need to work out a feeling, I now have a tool that helps me clear up anything I am going through and move forward.
When I Change, Everything Changes Around Me
I started to take an extra level of responsibility for everything that happens around me. As mentioned in past blog posts, I have spent the last years working on my personal development. Whenever something happened in a relationship or a circumstance around me, I took a hard look at myself and identified how I could improve. Although I catch myself still doing it from time to time, I aimed to not blame others for what was happening around me, and instead I looked at myself. When I did this, my relationships started to evolve, even the most important relationships in my life.
I still have lots of work to do, because we are onions with many different layers, and I can’t wait to see what other gifts I will find as I continue to grow and evolve.
I am so grateful to have all of you, my dear readers, in my life. Thank you for reading, and I hope that this year was full of love and learning for you as well. Love you.
