End of Year Reflections…

Usually, I like to choose a theme for each year, a gentle nudge in some direction, nothing too serious. The year I chose yes, for example, I ended up completing a skydive… something that, without that yes-theme (and some clever maneuvering from my best friend Helen), would never have happened.

So you can imagine my surprise when, reflecting back in November, I realized I couldn’t actually remember whether I’d set a theme for this year - or if I had, and my delightfully perimenopausal brain had simply misplaced it. Even more surprising was the realization that a theme had chosen me instead, courtesy of my other best friend. (Yes, I have two besties. They are two of my favorite humans.)

My bestie Rachel - I'll call her that because it is, in fact, her name (and also mine, to be clear; I am not talking about myself in the third person) announced that she was going to be more “rock-n-roll” this year because she was bored with the mundane bits of life. I remember thinking that it sounded great for her, but also exhausting, and definitely not something I needed to take on. I like a cuppa tea in my jammies before bed… and a full night’s sleep. Rock-n-roll? No thanks.

One thing I love to do, especially if looking at social media or the news has left me disillusioned, is look back through the photos on my phone. And one night in November, as I scrolled through the year, I noticed plenty of very *un-*rock-n-roll moments… but also, undeniably, a few rock-n-roll-adjacent ones: late nights dancing at concerts, early-bird clubbing (okay, rock-n-roll-ish), comedy shows. All things I genuinely enjoy, but had stopped doing for years thanks to Covid, health, and the PJ-tea situation previously mentioned.

It turns out this year became a good reminder about balance—the dance between setting intentions, choosing themes, defining goals… and letting life choose you.

As you reflect on this past year, I hope you discover the subtle (or not-so-subtle) ways life has chosen you too—nudging you back toward who you still are, or gently growing you into someone new.

And by all means, set a theme in January. Just be sure to write it down!

May this holiday season surprise you in the most beautiful ways.