As we get closer to the end of the year, we hear a lot of people state, “let’s hope next year is better than this one”. How miserable and discouraging… Was there nothing about this year that made you happy or laugh or be overwhelmed with joy and thankfulness? Every year can’t be that bad…
Although there have been some very trying months this year, overall, I must say it has been an incredible year. I did not make time to blog as much as I wanted to, but there were many other things that really made 2018 special for me. Here are just the highlights:
- We brought home the cutest, most scared little bean (rescue pup), and gave her a forever home. Marvin now has a sister! Lulu went from hiding behind the couch for the first 3 months to now always wanting me to pick her up, cuddle with her, and rub her belly. She is even letting Matt pet her every few tries!
- Saw good friends get married
- Bought a new car that is not (what my mom calls) a “cheap college car”
- Turned 30!!!! And had an incredible time in Taos at Hotel Luna Mystica with my Boo and spent a day at Ojo Caliente for a shared birthday girls’ day and dinner
- We moved into a new house
- We had a weekend getaway to our favorite town, Pagosa Springs; we went on a 10-year anniversary trip to Vegas for the law firm I currently work for; I traveled to Chicago for a work conference; and we are going on vacation to Jamaica with friends
- Saw Journey & Def Leopard and Jack Johnson in concert
- Read a total of 6 books and going to finish 1 more before the end of the year (although my year goal was 12, I still read some life changing and inspiring books and I am proud to say I even read that many)
- Volunteered for a new local CrossFit competition – The Veteran Games
- We got multiple massages throughout the year (my all-time most favorite gift to receive)
- We (aka I) started planning our vacation to Iceland in 2019 (tee hee hee!)
- I am making moves to buy life insurance. Folks this is the realist, most #adulting thing I have ever done in my entire life besides buy a car from a dealership
- I made a leap of faith, messaged a woman COO I admire to see if she would mentor me, and it led to a new job opportunity!!! I am happy to announce I will be starting my new job 1/2/19!
- Best of all, my Mattchew and I celebrated our 5-year date-iversary. I am more in love with that man as each day passes.
I also had many work highlights, but I am not trying to bore you to death by listing that crap. This year for me was focused on bettering myself through reading and learning more about how to reach my goals and true potential in my personal life and professional life.
It has been a year about learning how to listen better, work harder and smarter, take care of myself physically and mentally, saying no to more things so I can focus on the things I really want to do, saving my money, paying off my debt, only spending what I can afford (Matt even hid my credit cards from me), planning for the future, being the best partner/friend/daughter/granddaughter I can be, and setting myself up for success.
I really manifested what I wanted in my career and, to my surprise, it became a reality! Never would I ever imagine I would be starting this new job. But I told myself I was not going to be scared and I was going to find a mentor. The worst she could say would have been “no”. Instead, I was offered an opportunity to work under her and concentrate my career in an industry and position I am more passionate about.
Of course, there have been some very trying times this year, not to mention some VERY challenging and discouraging months. Good news is that everything is moving in the right direction and improving, and THAT is all that matters.
What I could do is look at the bad months and focus on them and tell everyone how terrible this year was and how, hopefully, next year will be better. But I’m not, because truthfully, it has been a good year overall. There will always be problems and low points and the sooner you are willing to accept that, the easier it will be to work through the problems and low points as they arise. If you focus on the bad and the negative all you will ever see or find is the bad and the negative. We must be appreciative for all of life’s experiences, even the not so good ones. Without the bad we would never know what is good. Bad experiences give us a point of reference and molds us into stronger, more capable humans. We are never given mountains we can’t climb.
With next year right around the corner, I could not be more thrilled for the journey I am on.
I am choosing to focus on the good and positive in life. I am choosing to manifest the future I want for myself and my family. I am choosing to continually better myself personally and professionally. And I am choosing to have an amazing new year.
So, be awesome. Commit to yourself. Find the good in everything. And cheers to a fantastic 2019!
keeliesamara 