Untitled 2018 Year-ender

I didn’t plan on writing anything to end 2018. My wife had already done an amazing job writing about what we’re up against this coming year and it didn’t seem like I had the time to cook something up from scratch.

However, checking Facebook this morning, I saw thoughts I’ve shared in welcoming previous years (and to think I almost came to a point of deleting my account) through its Memories feature. It instantly reminded me how refreshing it felt to sum up an entire year in snippets even if only to look back later on.

Reflecting on what has been a rollercoaster ride (cliché) of a year, I wanted to go back and reflect on previous years and remind myself of how we’ve progressed as both a family and individuals.

Welcoming 2016

2015 was a huge year for our family. This was the time we got a house for ourselves (albeit renting) and started really thinking about being intentional in living our lives and most especially in raising our kids. We couldn’t be living under someone else’s roof if we were to accomplish these two things.

So, with meager savings and a whole lot of faith, we jumped the gun and moved to our own home. My wife chronicled all this in her blog entry which just blew up at the time of her posting it. I saw our faces in places I never would’ve imagined. This was around the same time we both realized we were on the right track.

Welcoming 2017

It seems I didn’t post anything on Facebook to welcome the year 2017. Instead, I posted a couple of essays on my blog.

First one up was my essay on why people can’t seem to agree on anything-a realization that had bothered me throughout the year. It was when I first started noticing a number of people-including me-start off their responses with “no, but..” that gave me the idea to write about it in hopes that other people also become self-aware in the process. I gave it the title Why Can’t We Be Friends? paying homage to the song by War.

The second one is the typical new year’s resolution type of entry where, looking back, I achieved 2 out of 6 things I told myself I’d do that year. This was a good reason not to write anything like that again and instead write with intent as I go along.

Welcoming 2018

2017 was when I really stepped on the gas reading books-I devoured them. I wanted to learn more about myself and I guess the result is the Facebook entry below. I learned what an introvert really is and that I am one in that regard. I learned how to use my temperament as an advantage instead of something that would limit my capabilities.

At the same time, I started to become more vocal about these things (horrifying as it might seem). As a result, I was able witness other people come out of their shells and grow upon learning that introversion is actually a feature and not a bug. That itself is something I am very grateful about.

Welcoming 2019

Looking back and talking to my wife Nouelle this morning, I realized how much we’ve grown especially as partners. We saw ourselves jumping the gun in 2015, learning how to raise a family on our own in 2016, growing emotionally and spiritually in 2017, and started to become more intentional in the things we chose to do this year.

We purposely missed gatherings to focus our time and full attention to family and friends who we felt needed it most. As a result, it gave way to much more fruitful and rewarding relationships.

2019 is upping the ante once again. 2019 is going to be about making meaningful and mindful choices. It’s going to be about intentionally choosing things which are nourishing and that promote growth. 2019 is going to be about giving back to one’s self.

My hope and prayer is that as you’re reading this, you are not only inspired but are also called into action. Live 2019 not in auto-pilot but instead in awareness. Think in first principles and ask yourself the question WHY instead of going through the motions, putting yourself in situations you’d rather not be in, and doing things just because of sheer convention. Be comfortable in saying no to people and take charge of your very lives.

As I’ve mentioned in the beginning, I really didn’t set out to write anything but here’s where I found myself. Thank you, once again, for reading and I apologize for any typos or lapses in grammar. I hope you’re as excited as I am in welcoming the new year.

Originally published at http://writtenbymike.com on December 31, 2018.