That’s a Wrap…

As the end of the year is only a few days away…I am left with a feeling of accountability; as if I need to recollect and list the accomplishments of this past year.  I will say that it did go very fast but was full of moments that were significant and certainly pivotal.  I won’t share my little list, it doesn't matter to anyone but me…and that is what is so great about it.  Regardless of what life brought us in 2012, we were all impacted in some way.  Take the time to think about some of these moments – good and bad – and reflect on them.  These can be instances where you made an important business decision, a change in a habit, started a friendship or experienced something brand new. Take some time to really process everything that has happened over the past year and truly appreciate the affect that it has had on your life.

The small stuff can have a big force.  We can really learn from things that make sense to us and if we don’t address the situations that have occurred and the choices that we have made, we aren’t taking advantage of our ability to grow.  It might not always be the most pleasant or the best light that we are looking back through, but it still deserves the time to be evaluated and considered. 

Some guidelines to consider as you contemplate the last year and the important moments:

1)       You have to deal with it.  Things don’t disappear.  The old saying – Time heals – that is crap!  Time just allows for grudges to get bigger and feelings to get stronger.  We decide that we don’t want to face reality, so we brush it under the rug – BIG MISTAKE and your therapist is counting on just that!  That is what gives them material that can turn into “issues.”

2)      Write it down.  I have always found that when I document something – again, good or bad – it gives it more leverage, and deems it more important.  It also gives me the visual that I need to believe it and deal with it.

3)      Learn from your experience.  If you don’t think through why something was so great or why it might have been a struggle, you aren't building your character.  Learning from what we do and how we respond to situations is the stuff that makes us who we are. It allows us to become more comfortable as we jump into uncharted territory.  It gives us confidence.

4)      Laugh, Cry, Feel Something!  It is okay to feel bad about something.  It is okay to be overjoyed about something even when nobody else is.  If you want to be quiet and sad, you can.  If you want to feel proud and accomplished, you must allow yourself to do this.  Stifling your feelings because you don’t think it is what you should feel because of the pressures we have from others or the importance we place on their opinion is harmful to our well-being.

5)      Let it go and move on… So yes, this is the healthy thing to do.  Once you have claimed it, named it, learned from it and accepted it… put it in your repertoire of experiences and get on with the next experience life has to bring you.  That is what is so cool about our lives; there is always a place to grow.  Don’t sell yourself short by dwelling on things too long.  Build on the good, improve and enhance yourself each opportunity you get!