Well, here we are…the end of another year.
2013.
For me, there were highs and lows, ups and downs, and lefts and rights. (For the record, I think I took more lefts than rights.) There were things I would like to forget, and there were things I always want to remember. There were things I’m proud of, and others not-so-much. I was able to do some new things and see some new places, and I was able to revisit some old favorites and relive some old times. I lost some new friends and renewed some old friends. There were happy times and sad times, laughs and tears, wines and beers, cheers and jeers; good news and bad news and scenic views and rhythm and blues…and jazz.
But here we are…at a natural milestone…a new year. (Or in the finance world, year-end.)
There are times where I enjoy natural milestones…a time where it’s seemingly fitting to take a moment and reflect and review and reset…to put a combination of events into a context, in an effort to determine which road to take, and which direction to go.
Except that as I think about what I wrote above, 2013 at some level really wasn’t much different than 2012, or 2011, or 2010, etc. Every year will have highs and lows, ups and downs, and lefts and rights. (Although, just to shake things up, maybe I’ll take more rights than lefts?) And, more likely than not, 2014 will be the same as well.
I stopped making New Year’s Resolutions years ago. My joke: I’ve been successful at my 1997 New Years’ Resolution to stop making yearly resolutions. But there’s something a little more important to note, buried underneath the annual ritual of renewal and resolution. Every year has 365 days (except for those that 366 and mess up financial calendars). So, I think I’m going to make a new resolution…to make a daily resolution, every day. Life is meant to be lived daily, not annually, though some days are harder than others. There are plenty of clichés and motivational quotes that talk about doing something positive daily, living one day at a time, but as I’ve said before about clichés; a cliché wouldn’t be a cliché if there wasn’t some long-withstanding aspect to it.
So…I’m going to try to live day by day. One day at a time. And so as I look back at 2013, I’m not going to try to summarize it into these high-level oppositional statements. Instead…there were days in 2013 that I thoroughly enjoyed…days where I had the opportunity to do something special, or fun, but definitely memorable. Those are the days that I am going to define my 2013. Those other days…where either the opportunity didn’t exist, or where I didn’t take advantage of it, or whatever other explanation and/or excuse I can come with to document a not-so-good day…will just blend into a collective pool worthy of only a shrugged-shoulder response. “Meh.”
So, as we end December 31, 2013, my wish to all is…Happy January 1, 2014! Followed by a happy January 2, 2014, etc., etc., etc.
PS – So, maybe I’ll address the elephant in the virtual room now. I am ending 2013 as I began 2013 in this one respect…I have an active blog. Yes, I did stop ten months ago. When I stopped, I felt like I needed to take a break. There have been a couple of times this year when I almost restarted this blog. There were two times in particular where I actually wrote a post, but didn’t feel comfortable in actually posting it, for various reasons.
So, this is a new journey, but not unlike the first one. I have no rules. I like the road trip-journey metaphor that this was always loosely based on, so this theme will still largely be prevalent in my writing…but I’m not going to be strictly tied to it. And as with any given year, there are similarities to every journey, but yet no two years, or journeys, are alike.
Time to start the engine, put the car in gear, and hit the road…yet again…
2013.
For me, there were highs and lows, ups and downs, and lefts and rights. (For the record, I think I took more lefts than rights.) There were things I would like to forget, and there were things I always want to remember. There were things I’m proud of, and others not-so-much. I was able to do some new things and see some new places, and I was able to revisit some old favorites and relive some old times. I lost some new friends and renewed some old friends. There were happy times and sad times, laughs and tears, wines and beers, cheers and jeers; good news and bad news and scenic views and rhythm and blues…and jazz.
But here we are…at a natural milestone…a new year. (Or in the finance world, year-end.)
There are times where I enjoy natural milestones…a time where it’s seemingly fitting to take a moment and reflect and review and reset…to put a combination of events into a context, in an effort to determine which road to take, and which direction to go.
Except that as I think about what I wrote above, 2013 at some level really wasn’t much different than 2012, or 2011, or 2010, etc. Every year will have highs and lows, ups and downs, and lefts and rights. (Although, just to shake things up, maybe I’ll take more rights than lefts?) And, more likely than not, 2014 will be the same as well.
I stopped making New Year’s Resolutions years ago. My joke: I’ve been successful at my 1997 New Years’ Resolution to stop making yearly resolutions. But there’s something a little more important to note, buried underneath the annual ritual of renewal and resolution. Every year has 365 days (except for those that 366 and mess up financial calendars). So, I think I’m going to make a new resolution…to make a daily resolution, every day. Life is meant to be lived daily, not annually, though some days are harder than others. There are plenty of clichés and motivational quotes that talk about doing something positive daily, living one day at a time, but as I’ve said before about clichés; a cliché wouldn’t be a cliché if there wasn’t some long-withstanding aspect to it.
So…I’m going to try to live day by day. One day at a time. And so as I look back at 2013, I’m not going to try to summarize it into these high-level oppositional statements. Instead…there were days in 2013 that I thoroughly enjoyed…days where I had the opportunity to do something special, or fun, but definitely memorable. Those are the days that I am going to define my 2013. Those other days…where either the opportunity didn’t exist, or where I didn’t take advantage of it, or whatever other explanation and/or excuse I can come with to document a not-so-good day…will just blend into a collective pool worthy of only a shrugged-shoulder response. “Meh.”
So, as we end December 31, 2013, my wish to all is…Happy January 1, 2014! Followed by a happy January 2, 2014, etc., etc., etc.
PS – So, maybe I’ll address the elephant in the virtual room now. I am ending 2013 as I began 2013 in this one respect…I have an active blog. Yes, I did stop ten months ago. When I stopped, I felt like I needed to take a break. There have been a couple of times this year when I almost restarted this blog. There were two times in particular where I actually wrote a post, but didn’t feel comfortable in actually posting it, for various reasons.
So, this is a new journey, but not unlike the first one. I have no rules. I like the road trip-journey metaphor that this was always loosely based on, so this theme will still largely be prevalent in my writing…but I’m not going to be strictly tied to it. And as with any given year, there are similarities to every journey, but yet no two years, or journeys, are alike.
Time to start the engine, put the car in gear, and hit the road…yet again…
Are you copying me with the possibility of increasing the road trip/ life is a journey metaphor? Or am I copying you? Or are we copying each other? Who cares? Like the thought and can't wait for more of your travels.
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