Twenty-six more days until we start a brand new year!
WOW.
This is also the time when I start to see posts that try to summarize the current year. Think about this for a second.
What word would you use to describe 2022?
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Now, think about that word.
Would you consider it a positive word or a negative word?
For the majority of people this word is more negative than positive.
My first thought was "
expensive."
I've heard others say things like "
busy" or "
complicated." These might not sound super negative, but they are much different than words like "
investments" or "
abundant" which would be other ways to describe the same concepts.
I remember 2020 was often described as "a dumpster fire"
Cringe.
Remember, we are "
sticky for the negative" as Rick Hanson says. So, our first thought about the year is usually a summary of the challenges that we had.
Please don't allow 2022 to be reduced to your challenges.
I know many people this year who were diagnosed with cancer, people who lost loved ones, people who lost their jobs or their homes. I am NOT saying don't be negative because someone else had it worse than you or because you need to look on the bright side.
I'm saying don't let the year be defined by your challenges because that narrative is
BOTH not accurate AND not helpful.
Instead, look at the entire year. The good and the bad. The blessings and the challenges. By recognizing it all, you give yourself credit for your strength and your pain. The story that you tell is as rich and complex as you are.
In the forward of the wonderful book from the Moth,
How to Tell A Story,
Padma Lakshimi says
"Our stories tell us who we are, who we were, and
who we hope to be. They're how we form our very identity. The stories we carry with us contain our lineage, hopes, dreams, and pain."
Let your story be both accurate and helpful.
Let it tell the full story of the year.
