This past week felt especially significant to me, as it marks a year since I moved to the San Francisco area. I was driving out of the city one day after a meeting, and as I crossed the Bay Bridge, taking it all in – the cars, the noise, the tall buildings, and the urban beauty of the bridge itself – I started to reflect on everything the last year has brought me, it was a time for reflection and recognizing its importance.
I remember when my best friend and I were talking about moving to this crazy city, and wondering what adventures we were about to experience. Moving to a city where you don’t know anyone is a little daunting. When I was 20 years old and left home, it didn’t feel as arduous because I was able to make friends from my job and school. But this last year has been a little more challenging to meet people without a job to go to every day.
While thinking about the last year, it made me thankful for how far I’ve come with some projects, and at the same time it reminded me that not everything happens as quickly as I would like them to.
How many things have you started and stopped because it didn’t feel like it was working? What if you gave it a little more time? What if you kept the same goal but tweaked the direction a little?
Defining my business and the direction I want it to go, takes a lot of work, and there have been some opportunities which I thought would be a good fit, but they ended up not being what I wanted. I’ve also had some great connections that have turned into some really exciting opportunities for me.
When was the last time you reflected on the last 12 months or so? And I’m not talking about just around January 1st when we’re all saying the things we are going to do in the new year. Is there a significant date in your life? Maybe it’s when you were hired for a job, and you think about the challenges you faced and where you are now with that job. What about the day you met your significant other? How much has that relationship changed and evolved over the year?
Reflecting back on where you were a year ago can also bring a sense of gratitude. A year ago I didn’t know what I was going to do, or if I would meet people. Yet in a year, I’ve met some great people, and formed friendships and relationships, both personally and professionally.
I’m able to feel that sense of gratitude for the people who have supported me, and I’m able to put myself out there with the confidence to share what I know with others.
Reflecting back is a good practice to see where you have come in a short year, as well as where you are going. Time moves faster than we would like it to sometimes, and it’s important to remember that we should be constantly evolving and changing. Living a stagnant life is just that; stagnant. Even the word “stagnant” sounds yucky. Add time for reflection and recognizing its importance in your life.
Take some time and think about where you were and where you are going. See if there’s a sense of gratitude for what you have learned along the way to help you move forward. If not, what can you change right now in this moment to recognize the important lessons this last year has taught you? Making one simple change such as becoming more aware of life’s important lessons, can greatly affect our future.
Transition is scary and there’s always a sense of uncertainty. But if you jump in with both feet and take some chances, you never know what might happen in the span of one year.
My hope is that we can all look back and see how far we’ve come, how much we’ve grown as healthy human beings, and hopefully make some positive changes for ourselves and our loved ones.
With Gratitude,
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