Here We Are Again…

It’s hard to believe we are preparing to watch the sun set on another year gone by. It wasn’t that long ago we were saying so long to 2016, while anticipating all the possibility of the 2017 we were about to ring in.

And yet…Here We Are Again. Many of us will take a little time on this last day of the year to reflect. We quietly look back and review the highs and lows…the good and maybe the not so good of what transpired over these last 12 months. Sometimes we measure where we are now, versus where we were this time a year ago…or we ask ourselves questions like “Did I accomplish what I really wanted to do this year?

There will be those of us who feel as though we fell a bit short…while some of us realize we exceeded or surpassed the goals and expectations we may have placed upon ourselves.

Then there are those of us who will feel as though we simply just “Lived” through another year of our life.

I recall at the end of 2014 (which was a particularly hard year)…I distinctly decided on that New Years Eve, I would never again end my year with any feelings of negativity or regret.

In my opinion, there’s nothing worse than feeling lousy, guilty or remorseful over things you cannot go back and change…and it’s certainly not the most effective or enthusiastic way to start a new year. I realized back then, that the way we look at the year we say goodbye to, has an impact on the way we start the year we are about to welcome and say hello to.

I must admit, since that decision, I reflect on the year gone by in a very simple way. I think about what experiences stood out, what really had an impact and what helped me to grow. I also like to make a short list of what I feel were my most important lessons learned, then think about how I will carry them with value as I step into the year ahead.

This morning I realized the common denominator in every year, is how we experience and deal with a little of it all; the good, the bad, the mundane, the excitement, the unexpected, the disappointment, the average, the painful and the extraordinary (just to name a few). I reminded myself that often we don’t get one without the other.

I’ll wind this up by sharing a few things that made my list of lessons learned while living life through 2017:

– We have zero control (and often little warning) over what Mother Nature has in store

– Loyalty means very different things to different people (there’s no “one size fits all”)

– Kindness will never, ever go out of style

– Patience still needs to be practiced

– Never take everyday simple pleasures for granted (like a good cup of coffee or a hot shower)

– Things tend to change when you least expect it

– Laughter is the greatest antidote for anything that ails you

– Be specific about what you want

– Develop or find effective coping mechanisms

– Realize your value and feel good about that

– When you are too hard on yourself…you tend to be too hard on others as well

– Invest more time and love in the relationships that mean the most to you

As the clock ticks and this last day of the year comes to a close, I find myself in a state of gratitude. I hope no matter what is transpiring in your life right now, that you also find what you are grateful for and resonate on that feeling, then allow it to carry you into the new year.

Rest assured that no matter what our attitude, Life goes on…and this new year will once again be filled with a mixed bag of experiences and emotions.

Here’s to embracing it all…as best we can.

For today friends, this is The World as Eye See It