I went a little introverted at the end of 2018. It was something I simply needed to do. See, I was carrying some weight that needed to be put down so I could show up as my best self today and in the future. And while we should definitely take lessons we learn with us so we can do better in the future, we need to leave things behind us as well because it can really keep us from moving on if we don’t.
It hit me somewhere around October that I kept letting various things get in the way of bringing my A-Game to those I serve today and who need my best. And not just on a professional level. I was cheating myself and I was cheating my kids from being the best version of me.
2018 was a busy year. I started a new venture with a great friend/colleague. We launched a digital lifestyle magazine. The planning and production process, though fun and exciting, was also long and daunting in pursuit of creating a great product. I retired from publishing in 2010 but it’s always been my passion, so it felt great being back in the throws of it all. At the same time we were wrapping up production on the first issue of the magazine, I started planning a whole new workshop series with another colleague that is launching this February. And though I had these great, creative, and fulfilling projects going on, I could not seem to get past the ‘past’, but all that was doing was keeping me from my future. So I spent the latter part of the year learning to let go of what was not serving me anymore. And it was A LOT of work. Deep work. Sometimes we don’t even realize we carry the weight of things until we do stop and take the time to look inward. I needed that step back, a step inside to remember what I am made of and who I truly am. It was a really intense ‘time-out,’ if you will, of personal and spiritual reflection.
I had a goal in mind for how I wanted to end the year. I wrote it down. And when I needed reminding, I wrote it again. I was brutally honest with myself about what I wanted for myself, who I wanted to be for me, and who I wanted to be for my children. I think I accomplished my goal. I was able to come into 2019 with a clear head and a clear vision. Any obstacles I encounter won’t be from within, which will make them much easier to get over.
Here are some key things to remember as you travel on your journey…
1- Never be afraid to be YOU
2- Not everyone has to like you and you have to learn to be ok with that
3- Accept the worst of any situation but always look for the best in it
4- Always show up with your A-Game
5- Smile, even if they don’t smile back
6- Leave the past behind you but take the lessons it taught you
This story was originally published on medium.com in 2019. It has been edited for this site.