It seems like only yesterday when I first wrote an article about welcoming 2023, now the same year we have all so lovingly welcomed is now a part of history. A year filled with hope and learnings, and other life experiences, all these have made us wiser (I hope!).
Question: What was your 2023 journey like? Let me share you mine...
Exploration of new skills and industries.
2023 was a year I dabbled into unchartered territories, and I did so by trying to rekindle my selling skills. For people who know me, I have sold a lot of things, in high school I sold baked goods, when I was working, I sold bags, perfumes and watches. I even joined bazaars! So I tried to test my marketing and selling skills by joining the real estate and financial advisory industry. What I realized is that good as I maybe in selling other items, these industries are not just for me. So did I quit? NO! I stayed but with a much relaxed pace and instead focused on my other projects. Why did I not quit? I will consider selling as a side hustle, but not a main source of income. There is a rule remember to never trust a single source of income.
Meeting new people.
If you have read my blog, I have once written that editing friends in and out of your circle is not bad. There are some friendships wherein you will naturally grow apart, this is not bad, it only means that there is a shift in your life and you are growing. Growth maybe a difficult place to be in (trust me!) and sometimes it requires a different set of friends who can offer you a different perspective on life and living.
New friends that share the same energy with you. Now, this isn't to say they are no longer your friends, but you will realize that they do not carry the same weight anymore. You will meet new friends, you will be joining new circles, you will gradually be transforming to the person you are meant to be. Your new friends will be there to help you change.
Learning to trust yourself.
I have this bad habit of self deprecation. I tend to be very hard on myself, comparing achievements, lifestyles and other stuff, down to the very last detail, like how I missed a preposition in a sentence! Haha! As I interacted with people old and new, I began receiving unsolicited compliments, things I do not see in myself, or perhaps I was too humbled, (or blinded!) to even recognize. Inch by inch, I slowly began to acknowledge the good and the bad in me. Finding out what people see in me, enabled me to embrace and nurture the talents I have ignored or thought I am not good at.
Sometimes, we are blinded by our own insecurities that we lose to trust ourselves, we lose confidence, and we are unable to function. My takeaway from this experience is, loving yourself is a life long journey. I also have to remind myself that the most important conversation I will have is with myself.
Just do it.
Jumping off the cliff is scary, jump anyway, experience the rush. Hiking is tough, hike anyway, the summit offers stunning views. Going through a tough time? Go through it, it is unavoidable! Don't be afraid to feel the horns of the bull with your bare hands, control it, tame it. Just do it. PERIOD!
Faith and hope are everything.
Okay, I am not religious, but I am a very spiritual person. I respect whatever religion you associate yourself with. But this got me through the entire year, FAITH. Having FAITH goes hand in hand with having HOPE, and if you have these, it will keep you moving forward in life. When you stumble in life, just rise up, and just like what Taylor Swift said, "Shake it off."
Don't ask for an escape from life, learn to jive with the pain. Your escape is near.
What is 2024 going to be like?
My priority is getting my groove back at work, but of course still taking time to take care of my physical and mental well being (this has so much weight in my life now!) But definitely I will pick up old projects from 2023 and turn them into a reality. My podcast will be up soon, I am doing my research now for a novel I am writing and I have other projects lined up in the next quarter all the way until 2024 ends.
So that's my 2023. So how are you my dear readers? What have you learned and what do you intend to achieve this 2024? I am excited to hear your thoughts.
Tito Gary xxx
