31/12/2023
Learn, grow, evolve. Self reflect, learn new things about who you are. Do things you haven't done before. Get uncomfortable and be willing to be afraid. Be awkward. Be the person in the room who knows the least and be thankful for the seat. Listen. Observe. Invite new experiences, new ideas, a different perspective. Be ok with being told no, be told no a hundred times. Be wrong. Make mistakes. Cry. Get frustrated. Get mad. Get angry.
In 44 years of living I have been ignored, disregarded, told no, felt invisible, unheard, left out, and unappreciated. I have been challenged, broken, weak, and hopeless. I have tried, tried again and tried until it made no sense to keep trying. I have been angry, frustrated, sad. Yet, I had moments after every emotion, every set back, and every feeling that gave me awareness. I saw the value in it. I knew I had not walked away empty handed. I felt myself evolving and growing. Every experience became a tool for me to use, an understanding and relatability that I could not have had without it. My journey is who I am today and I embrace it fully. I didn't quit. I didn't give in. I didn't give up. Instead, I became stronger. More passionate. More willing. More eager. More... Just more. I became more.
In 2024 my hope for you is that you never give up. I once wrote for a blog and wrote a short entry called, "Take the long way around". This morning over coffee I realized that is the title of my life... I take the long way around and my God, I am so incredibly thankful for that because I've had one hell of a view!
Enjoy the journey, may God bless you and yours. 💜