For months, I've been referring to 2023 as a "bad", "crappy" and occasionally "terrible" year.
My inner circle - the people who know things I don't share on social media - has mostly just let that go, because really, 2023 was a year of problems.
Other people, however, have felt the need to challenge the label. "What about Iceland?" they asked. That sounded like the trip of a lifetime."
And in fact, Iceland was one of the best weeks of my entire, life. So I started saying, "Iceland aside, 2023 was a crappy year."
Then they started bringing up other events.
"What about Sand Wash Basin?"
"I had fun spending time with you in Sacramento."
"You went on a lot of nice rides on Olive."
Not going to lie: At first, I found this really annoying. I thought, "Come on, people. Why are you doing this? Just let me have my bad year."
But also, it got me thinking. In between the various traumas, a lot of good things did happen in 2023. In addition to Iceland, Sand Wash Basin, Sacramento and Olive, went camping with my husband, I spent a lot of time with my best friend and got promoted at work. My kids are doing well, our dogs are thriving and Lee Jones was returned. I attended BreyerWest and had the most fun taking pictures of my cosplaying friends with horses... The list just goes on and on.
As the clock ticked towards midnight on New Year's Eve, I decided that perhaps, "bad", "crappy" and "terrible" weren't the best adjectives to use regarding 2023. Maybe "complicated", "difficult" and "hard" were better choices.
So, yeah. Officially 2023 was a complicated year with a lot of good moments and some really difficult ones.
But it doesn't have to be bad.
So here's my goal for 2024: I want to get through the year with as much grace and happiness as possible. I want to stay in the moment, appreciate the good things and not get too bogged down in crises that are beyond my control.
I think I can do it. I guess we'll find out.
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I normally don't set goals or make resolutions but when I read your 'goal for 2024' I thought, that's entirely achievable.
ReplyDeleteI think we can all use some of that goal!!
Jennifer--you should have attended church services with me this Sunday! I swear--he was walking up every one's street and your post today just proved it!!
ReplyDeleteOne of the comments he made as he was drawing to a close, was that "Some of us are going to look forward to 2024 as a year without any problems and some of us are going to see 2024 as only that! But life doesn't work like that! It's a mixture of both good and bad, highs and lows! And it's our attitude that determines how things turns out"!
I LiKE your attitude and goals Jen! I wanna be like YOU in this New Year--and YES!! We *will* see if we can pull it off--and I have *no doubt* that you (we) will!
Thank you for sharing this. I've been thinking many similar thoughts, I think. I keep saying "life is good right now, great even, but..." and then obsessing over the "but".
ReplyDeleteComplicated, hard, sub optimal things will keep happening, but I'd reeeeally like to stop focusing on them. I think it's become a habit, like anything can be. I'm prone to getting derailed and sometimes it takes a long time to get back on track - if I ever do. I guess if I have a "resolution", it'd be to work on that. Which feels like it ties in with what you're going for.
I think you can do it, and I think I can, too. ((hugs))
Hope 2024 is less complicated for you and everyone else that had a complicated 2023.
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