Reflecting on 2023, This is What I Learned
What did you learn this year?
At the time of writing, it’s December 26th.
My birthday is in a few days (I’m a New Years baby!), and the year is coming to a close. I’ve been invited to a few parties, I’m probably going to get a little tipsy, and I’m going to meet a lot of new family members from my step-maternal side of the family and hope for the best.
But I’m not thinking about that right now. What I’m thinking about is; what is the moral of this story?
In truth, there are many morals, some which I understand now, some that will take me a while longer.
It’ll always be that way throughout life, but there’s a choice few I want to share with you.
A lot of things factor into happiness
Repeat after me: there is no one thing that will make you happy.
Material objects won’t make you happy. A hot girlfriend won’t make you happy. More friends won’t make you happy.
Correction, they will bring you joy, but you won’t be able to fully appreciate it and thus not be satisfied.
It’s sort of like if I were to give a toddler gourmet food. The toddler would like the food because it tastes good, but won’t understand nor appreciate the value behind it because they’re so young.
In that, one of the keys to happiness lies in understanding and appreciation.
Take small moments out of your day to appreciate it. You’re afforded food every day, a roof over your head, clean water, an internet connection, friendships, etc.
Not everyone has these things. Afford yourself gratitude.
Mental strength is attainable and reasonable
A big misconception about mental strength is that you need to be an impenetrable boulder that has no feelings and is constantly on that grind™ and is a ‘sigma male’, whatever the hell that is.
And no. God no, it’s not that.
Mental strength is the ability to sit with your discomfort and reflect on how and why you have it.
It’s not pretending it isn’t there or that you’re ‘above’ having emotions.
It’s being strong – but not arrogant in your decisions and your ability to hold them.
You can start building your mental strength by staring a growth mindset, fostering emotional regulation skills, and practicing self compassion.
Mental strength isn’t shutting yourself and others out – it’s knowing who you are and working with yourself.
There’s a future ahead of you
I don’t care how old you are.
So long as you still breathe, you have a future.
I always cringe a little bit when I see people my age or younger, or people that I’m meant to look up to carry a defeatist attitude. That they’re ‘too late’, that they’re ‘not good enough’, that they’re ‘too young’, ‘too stupid’, what have you.
I never like hearing that, because these people have futures and they’re sabotaging them on purpose because they think it’s out of their hands.
It isn’t.
There’s things that happen that are out of your hands, yes, but the entirety of your life isn’t.
There are many aspects that you have control over, even if you don’t know the full extent as to how.
