This year has been quite different for me than the previous year. Both have been amazing in their own ways and they have a lot of overlap, but they are definitely distinct from one another. I think this is a good thing as what I needed in 2018 was probably different than what I needed in 2019. Here’s what I mean.
Overall, 2018 consisted of starting over after the roller coaster that was 2017. Although I met a lot of new people, traveled to some new places, and tried a lot of new things, it still felt pretty calm and safe. That stability allowed me to learn a lot from all the books I read and helped me avoid repeating many of my past mistakes. However, it was such a comfortable year for me that I ended up suppressing and repressing a lot of painful stuff from previous years. Despite the growth I experienced during, I left 2018 with a lot of stones unturned.
Even though the first half of 2019 was pretty much a continuation of last year, as a whole, it hasn’t been nearly as smooth for me as 2018 was. That’s ok, though, since it’s given me many more opportunities for personal growth and allowed me to work through a lot of the stuff that I didn’t address last year. I’m getting a feel for letting go of much of my emotional baggage instead of just burying it deep under the surface and ignoring it. The more I learn and the more I work through, the more I realize that I’ve just barely scratched the surface of self-improvement and have a lot more room for growth.
I’m glad that I had such a big break in 2018. It was a welcome change from the chaos of 2017 and prepared me wonderfully for the challenges of 2019. I don’t know what the remainder of this year has in store for me, let alone what 2020 will bring, but I plan to take things one day at a time and continue working through whatever comes up along the way. That way, whether any given year or season is difficult or easy, I’ll be able to learn from whatever happens and be that much better off for it.