Feeling lost is something we all know too well. Feeling some kind of trauma is also something we all know too well. Being hurt and misunderstood is also something we all know too well. Running away to a place in our minds is a coping mechanism we all know too well. But what all those words and feelings have taught me in the last few years is exactly this: they are just words, just feelings, just thoughts in my mind that I had chosen to feel that way. In a way, the mind is composed of whatever reality you create. Interestingly enough, if you think about it, everything you've wanted and achieved has started off as a dream or a thought, or even from being broken so badly and then turning your life around. It's incredible. I have learned so many things in the past year, and as summer comes to an end, I like to review my thoughts and actions before the year starts over again. It's nice to check in with yourself and the goals you have.
One thing that I am holding dear with me this summer is beauty—the beauty of love, friendships, and the beauty in writing. The beauty of stars watching from the middle of the lake while engrossed in my favorite chapter so far. The beauty in health and evolving into the incredible woman I had dreamt of becoming. When someone says that life is short and can change instantly, I am a woman who truly understands that expression all too well. Instead of asking "why me?" and thinking I don't deserve this, I say this was a lesson and ask myself what I can take from it. Not all endings are goodbyes, and not all endings are bad; they are doors that lead to laughter and possibilities.
Life is a magnificent blend of messiness and unpredictability, a journey where every twist and turn can catch us off guard. Amid this chaotic dance, what truly matters is the step we take in the present moment. Not the regrets of yesterday or the uncertainties of tomorrow, but the choices we make right now. We can prepare ourselves for any outcome, bracing for sadness or anger, yet sometimes the very preparation we advocate for becomes the opposite. It's impossible to predict our reactions until that moment arrives, revealing our true nature.
I invite you to take a pen and paper, jot down five scenarios of potentially devastating events, and next to them, inscribe how you believe you'd react. Carry that paper with you. When life's hammer strikes, refer back to it. Were things as catastrophic as you envisioned, or did your response differ? The people we cross paths with, the places we explore, and the lessons we accumulate—all of these elements sculpt our evolution. This year, déjà vu greeted me, offering the same circumstances as before, yet this time, my reaction was distinct. And you know what? It wasn't as earth-shattering as my mind had projected previously. Growth, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally, has taken place.
Life tends to present us with recurring patterns until we grasp the essence of transformation. Habits resurface, faces change, professions alter, but the pivotal point of change lies within ourselves. The past year was an extraordinary chapter, wrapped in the cocoon of summer's warmth. But, as the seasons shift, more awaits on the horizon—new faces to meet, vistas to explore, and experiences to engrave in our memories. In 2019, I relinquished myself to youthful abandon, while 2020's stroke almost shattered me. Yet, 2021 and 2022 found me rebuilding, with newfound vigor, birthing a business and even venturing into the world of publishing. Now, in 2023, I stand as a bestselling author, a realtor, and a proud puppy mom.
Remember, the thoughts that once formed your starting point are the very ones that propelled you forward. Life's symphony plays on, the harmony of growth echoing through time.
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