I Can See Clearly Now

The year isn't over yet, but wow has it been a wild ride! I mean we knew this was going to be THE year of clarity, but no one could have predicted this ... am I right?

Although much of the energy of 2020 has been negative, I want to try to remember as much of the positive as possible. So here are some of the takeaways I've gained from this year (and maybe you can relate?):

Cherish the ones you love. This is the first year without my Grandpa. It's also the year my boyfriend and I celebrated 1 year together. 2019 was the year I lost one of the biggest influences in my life, but it's also the year I gained an incredible and supportive partner. So going into 2020 was rough, but I also knew I wasn't alone. I tell my boyfriend I love him every day, and he tells me he loves me. The other challenge though? Moving in with him -- which is great, but it meant leaving my mom and brother, at a time when the world became chaotic and social distancing became the new norm. It's hard going from seeing someone every day to only seeing them once a week, or not at all. When something reminds me of my mom, or when I'm just thinking about her, I try to let her know.

Creativity is key. I wouldn't be who I am without writing, designing, and just generally creating something. With all my schooling, it's a piece of me I seemed to have left in the dust for quite some time. January, it hit me that this word, "creativity", was going to be my 2020 word, my focus area -- and it sure has been, in more ways than one!

Follow your intuition. I took the year off from school, partly because my Grandfather passed away in November and I didn't take the time to grieve properly over the holidays, and partly because something felt ... off. I was studying to become a teacher -- and I didn't know if this was the grief talking or what, but something told me teaching wasn't the right path for me anymore. Sure enough, I found a new path: life coaching -- and dare I say, I think it's perfect!

Take the time to ask yourself: What do you want for your life? Part of taking the year off from my education -- my second time in 20+ years! -- was about figuring out who I am and what I want out of life. I realized I wanted more flexibility in my schedule, the ability to have creative freedom in my career, and to work with people 1:1. I wouldn't have gotten any of this from a teaching degree (at least not right away, and not all of it at once). I also reflected on some personal goals that I've had for years now -- writing a book, for example -- and asked myself if I still want those things.

Pursue those guilty-pleasure interests. Life is too short to worry about what other people think about your interests! I've always been fascinated by astrology, but was never open about it growing up, for fear of rejection or ridicule. This is the year I've started opening myself up to all sorts of things I only ever dreamed to learn about -- astrology, personal development, living with the moon cycles. I've even gotten more confident in my writing ... look world, I'm finally sharing the words that pop up in my head!

Like I said, the year isn't over yet ... and I can't wait to see what these next two and a half months have in store!