I must say this year has been kind of a whirlwind. As years go it has had some ups and some downs. Those downs I learned some great lessons from and the ups I am so happy to have them. All of the things that happened this year I feel have made me a better person. Especially the downs. Those downs taught me some things that I wouldn’t have known if I hadn’t had the experiences that I had.
This year in 2022 I think I learned the meaning of leaping. If I hadn’t learned to leap I wouldn’t have the job that I have now. I had been saying for years that I wanted to find a new job. Yes I appreciate the job I had before. I learned some skills that I never would have had if I didn’t work there. That job taught me to value my worth and to know that it is okay to find something new. I realized that I was worth more than what I was receiving. I learned that sometimes in order to get better you have to sometimes find something new. That if you stay put you are not going to find what you are looking for.
This year I also learned that it is okay to let go. Letting go of relationships that don’t serve you any purpose and letting go of your children. My relationship with my children is in a much better place because I stopped trying to control them. I realized that they are adults and I need to let them make their own mistakes and suffer their own consequences. I had to realize I did my job as their mother. Now I only give advice when I am asked. I still step in sometimes but definitely not as much as I used to. It has been the best decision I have ever made. I also learned that even the best relationships need a break sometimes. Any relationships that are worth having will come back together. Friendships included. Sometimes you have to completely wipe the slate clean and start over from scratch. That is okay.
In 2022 I learned to not only respect the boundaries of others but my own as well. I am the worse at that. I want people to respect my boundaries but I will bulldoze theirs down which is of course unfair. But I learned I was doing that because I was not demanding respect my own boundaries. I didn’t demand that people respect my boundaries. Without boundaries people will treat you however they want. Then when you try to create the boundaries you know you need 9 times out if 10 that is when a person’s true colors will show. If you don’t believe me try setting boundaries with someone who you have never set a boundary with before. They are going to do one of two things either accept it or blow a fuse. I have had both. The ones who lost it on me showed me that they only wanted to be around me only if they can continue to mistreat me and that if I didn’t allow them to continue to do it then I was dispensable.
This year I also learned the art of keeping my mouth shut. Everyone does not need to know what is going on in your life or what goals you are pursuing. They don’t need to know all your problems. I also learned to value who I vent to because the people who you vent to will have an opinion about whoever you vent about and that shapes how they feel about the person. So it is important to protect your relationships. I learned that is what a therapist is for. Also people get tired of hearing the same thing all the time. Again that is what a therapist is for. You can break people if you constantly complain and then do nothing to fix your circumstances. So the next time you complain it will probably fall on deaf ears because people will think you are more interested in complaining rather than finding a solution. Once I stopped complaining and started focusing on solutions instead my life got so much better.
With everything I have learned. I can say I am leaving 2022 in a much better spot than I started in. I can only hope things get better in 2023. I have so many goals that I am working towards and I can’t wait to share my journey along the way.
