feeling those creative juices flow today. yes, it's been about 1.5 years since 2016 passed, but i'm taking today to reflect, and be grateful for all it afforded me. i started this post back in 2016 ... and while a few details will undoubtedly be fuzzy due to my ever-so-quickly fading memory, i am thoroughly enjoying this process....onwards!
-*-
i know it, deep down. i know the reason for 2016 being beyond amazing was because i did not expect. i did not make resolutions, nor did i be completely lax about my desires to make it a memorable year.
all i wanted was to live each day to the fullest. to fill each day with productivity and positivity. and i honestly did my best. i truly believe that's all you can do with what you're given. it really came from the structure i established (and had established for me) in 2016. the structure of being home, and not flying from SD-NYC and back, as well as having a typical work week allowed me to shift focus towards who i wanted to be, and what i wanted out of life while being a part of a couple and being the first source of support for my parents. sounds quite the opposite of not having expectations, i suppose. however, having had a lot of time to explore my identity, weaknesses, and strengths while in NYC, it was time to find my identity as a daughter and a wife. while not my only roles in life, i was secure in who i was becoming as an individual. i started work each day with a grateful heart, and the simple act of gratitude for the opportunities i was given really changed the way i approached life in 2016. by being present in every moment, i started seeing the joy that life had to offer me - little jokes with my students, the morning phone calls from my mom, the ability to create a life with my husband and exploring our life together through travel, or hikes, or even short walks around the neighborhood... the simple attempt to rewire the way i approached life seemed to do wonders for me. i could see my relationships feeling lighter, i saw myself approaching conflict in a less passive-aggressive manner than i previously did. i looked forward to meeting friends rather than shying away from social occasions, and i felt myself becoming more vulnerable and letting myself bare myself to my family and friends without expecting their approval. i embraced myself in a way i previously hadn't - i just felt more myself in social situations than i ever had before. with the stability i had in my work life as well as my personal life, 2016 afforded me opportunities where i was able to focus more on change and taking an active role in my own life.
i'm not sure whether it was good karma or me taking more of an active control of my life, but 2016 also afforded us travel opportunities that molded my thoughts on how i wanted my life to look. within the same year, we were able to visit the great wall of China, see the unforgettable blues of Cancun and Crater Lake, hike up the Exit glacier in Alaska, while also visiting the birth place of Mozart in Salzburg. i realized music never really played a daily role in my life, and i started collecting little tidbits that i could implement within my life from our travels that impacted me as an individual, a partner, and a member of this global community.
not much more i can say other than the drive i had to learn really pushed me through 2016 and continues to do so to this day. while slightly unconventional, i haven't necessarily found my learning to be through books and reading, though that is something i hope to improve upon. rather, i've been watching more documentaries, shows on personal growth, etc. i've found a joy in the little gems on network television and realized there is so much to learn if you let yourself be open to the opportunity. the mindfulness i began to engage in truly helped me genuinely make an effort to be real with myself, my partner, my family, and my friends - and it seemed to come back to be multifold! i am so very grateful for the opportunities to live, love, and travel, 2016. i can only hope to improve upon myself and my standing in this beautiful world by doing good and establishing a positive life full of honesty, growth, and joy. <3 p="">
-*-
i know it, deep down. i know the reason for 2016 being beyond amazing was because i did not expect. i did not make resolutions, nor did i be completely lax about my desires to make it a memorable year.
all i wanted was to live each day to the fullest. to fill each day with productivity and positivity. and i honestly did my best. i truly believe that's all you can do with what you're given. it really came from the structure i established (and had established for me) in 2016. the structure of being home, and not flying from SD-NYC and back, as well as having a typical work week allowed me to shift focus towards who i wanted to be, and what i wanted out of life while being a part of a couple and being the first source of support for my parents. sounds quite the opposite of not having expectations, i suppose. however, having had a lot of time to explore my identity, weaknesses, and strengths while in NYC, it was time to find my identity as a daughter and a wife. while not my only roles in life, i was secure in who i was becoming as an individual. i started work each day with a grateful heart, and the simple act of gratitude for the opportunities i was given really changed the way i approached life in 2016. by being present in every moment, i started seeing the joy that life had to offer me - little jokes with my students, the morning phone calls from my mom, the ability to create a life with my husband and exploring our life together through travel, or hikes, or even short walks around the neighborhood... the simple attempt to rewire the way i approached life seemed to do wonders for me. i could see my relationships feeling lighter, i saw myself approaching conflict in a less passive-aggressive manner than i previously did. i looked forward to meeting friends rather than shying away from social occasions, and i felt myself becoming more vulnerable and letting myself bare myself to my family and friends without expecting their approval. i embraced myself in a way i previously hadn't - i just felt more myself in social situations than i ever had before. with the stability i had in my work life as well as my personal life, 2016 afforded me opportunities where i was able to focus more on change and taking an active role in my own life.
i'm not sure whether it was good karma or me taking more of an active control of my life, but 2016 also afforded us travel opportunities that molded my thoughts on how i wanted my life to look. within the same year, we were able to visit the great wall of China, see the unforgettable blues of Cancun and Crater Lake, hike up the Exit glacier in Alaska, while also visiting the birth place of Mozart in Salzburg. i realized music never really played a daily role in my life, and i started collecting little tidbits that i could implement within my life from our travels that impacted me as an individual, a partner, and a member of this global community.
not much more i can say other than the drive i had to learn really pushed me through 2016 and continues to do so to this day. while slightly unconventional, i haven't necessarily found my learning to be through books and reading, though that is something i hope to improve upon. rather, i've been watching more documentaries, shows on personal growth, etc. i've found a joy in the little gems on network television and realized there is so much to learn if you let yourself be open to the opportunity. the mindfulness i began to engage in truly helped me genuinely make an effort to be real with myself, my partner, my family, and my friends - and it seemed to come back to be multifold! i am so very grateful for the opportunities to live, love, and travel, 2016. i can only hope to improve upon myself and my standing in this beautiful world by doing good and establishing a positive life full of honesty, growth, and joy. <3 p="">
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