Wow! It is so hard to believe that yet another year is coming to an end. Where is the time going?
2022 was definitely one to remember. If I’m honest, half-way through the year, I began saying that 2022 was Top 5 Worst Years of my life. Maybe Top 2, and not 2. I was struggling through heartbreak and managing relationships, desperately wanting to discover purpose, starting to see hope for my dreams slipping away, and contemplating settling for average because I didn’t feel like I had enough strength to push through the tough days. Many times this year I found myself fighting for happiness, which often looked like an uphill battle. I experienced many difficult lessons, which led me to categorize the year as “all bad”... until a few weeks ago….
Earlier this month, I overheard someone sharing that we often overlook the small things we were able to accomplish throughout the year, ignore how much we grew, and fail to reflect on, and celebrate, all the work we did “behind the scenes”. So, I decided to take another look at all that happened this year, with a different perspective. Instead of focusing on all that went wrong and the things that didn’t happen the way I wanted them to, I focused my attention on what did go right, what I was able to accomplish and overcome, and the bigger picture in the small details of what happened this year. Here’s what I found…
2022 was actually marked with:
Discovering who God is in my life. I found His faithful love for me, saw Him as my Provider, and a Voice that reminds me I’m enough. I discovered hope. I found peace and look back in complete awe of His mercy.
Developing discipline to begin good habits and release bad ones. (Exercising, discovering healthy recipes, making my bed every morning, reading, realizing Kombucha is “that girl”, and so much more!)
Becoming more intentional about appreciating the relationships in my life (I learned the importance of adding value to those around me and helping others feel “seen”)
Discovering more about who I am and what it is I actually enjoy doing (I love trying new coffee shops and having early morning, solo breakfast dates accompanied by a good book! Also, who would've thought the girl that disliked writing in school would EVER have a blog??)
Those were just a few, but after reflecting on the year with a different perspective, instead of 2022 going down as one of the worst years ever, I can truly say that it was actually one of the most (if not THEE most) pivotal and impactful year of my life. It is exactly what I needed.
Would I like to do it all again? Absolutely not! But I am so glad it happened. This year helped shape me into the woman I am so excited to become and opened my eyes to what really matters, and I hope it was the same for you. Check out some of the other lessons I learned this year below!
2022 Takeaways:
Doing the right thing is often difficult, but practicing self-control and self-discipline is SO worth it.
Be careful of what you fill yourself with. What you watch and hear on a consistent basis matters and has an impact on your thoughts, which often affects your actions.
Endurance. There will be times when you feel like you are doing all that you can but the results just aren’t coming like you had planned. Patience to continue doing the good thing will eventually lead to a wonderful harvest.
Grace. You will not always get it right, and you won’t always have it all together, but make space for mistakes and learn from them. Forgive yourself and others.
I just started the Poured Out blog in October of this year, so I am extremely thankful for those of you who stuck around and are following along on this journey with me! I am excited for what 2023 will be for us, and I pray that it is all we need it to be and more. See you in the new year, friend.
Reflect:
What would you like to celebrate yourself for this year? What did you learn along the way?
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