Meet ME, the NOW me!

Happy 2019 and Happy 1 Year Anniversary to Successfully Single! Looking back on my year,  I published 16 posts, reached 28 countries, and had 1700+ views! I’m pretty proud of that! After reading 16 posts, I hope you’ve enjoyed following me on my journey, and I hope it brought even a fraction of the light to your lives that it has brought to mine. I’ve had some lovely feedback from friends who learned parts of me they never knew and friends who have continued to encourage me to write when no words were coming to page. Thank you!

As I reflect on my posts since my inaugural publication, I realize I documented a huge internal shift that occurred in my life. Everything seems to have changed for me on the inside, while life remains relatively the same looking on the outside! I suppose the new year always inspires reflection, so I feel obligated to say last year was an important chapter ending, and this year is when I totally kick ass. Haha! I am entering 2019 with so many lessons learned, I look forward to the ups of this year and their inevitable counterparts.

Last night I went out to support my friend’s husband at a show he was hosting and ran into three people whom I haven’t seen in years. Of course the whole, “So how have you been? What’s new?” conversation happened and the standard exchange of pleasantries. On my way home I thought about these conversations and my, “Oh pretty much the same… doing three shows and just being me,” type answers, and I thought about how simple, formal and restrained that felt. Of course each of these friendships shared different depths, but the simple conversations definitely got my wheels turning.

The past three years have been LIFE CHANGING, and nothing remains the same! “Well, my mom died and it started a beautiful shift in my universe, followed by the most difficult years of my life where I kept smiling but had to find a purpose to wake up each day, and now I’m finding my way, ” feels more like the truth! Now there are many people whom I would reconnect with offering a less abrasive version of that, but what I find completely fascinating is how easy it has been to say that to new people! That major event and those feelings have made me who I am today, and when connecting with someone new, he or she is meeting me here- meeting ME now! On a surface level, these are just the facts, and after the facts, we can get down to the real shit!

Last year I shared a 2018 goal of mine: To purge things, habits, and people who no longer serve a purpose in my life. In shedding those items, I’ve learned its counterpart (acquiring things, habits, and people) to be of great importance to whom and what I let in. When meeting new people, the initial reactions to, “My mom passed away a couple years ago,” in casual conversation has proven to be a quick test on how fast and open I can be. I don’t judge anyone for not understanding my loss or experience, but I have learned that that reaction is a compelling component in creating a smaller, significant circle of friends.

I have learned and grown exponentially this past calendar year, and writing this blog has truly inspired me to reflect and keep going. As I journey into the new year, I encourage you to also reflect on how your previous goals were attained and what lessons were learned from the journey. Honor that journey, and set out on a new one!

Thank you so much for your support ❤