Benediction

And so, another year comes to a close. Maybe this past year seemed more stable than the last couple, or maybe you were surrounded by tremendous upheaval. Maybe you were excited to be around people again, or perhaps you preferred the isolation. But as the sands run out on 2022, it’s natural to reflect on the last 12 months.

We look back on our triumphs. Our failures. Progress. We think of the new people in our lives or old friends you’ve lost touch with along the way. We think of the people who are no longer around. And at the end, we raise a glass of something, and we promise that starting tomorrow, we will start being that better version of ourselves we always wanted to be.

Wash, rinse, repeat, and then it’ll be 2024.

Don’t get me wrong, none of this is bad or somehow warrants a change in how we usher the new year. It’s just that personally, my focus tends to linger on the negatives of a passing year instead of the good things; the things I didn’t do or could have done better over the things that worked or did well. I suspect that I’m not alone in that.

If I may, though, allow me to suggest some changes in that format.

As we exit 2022, I’m going to celebrate the wins, great and small, for just a hair longer than normal. I’m going to hold onto the joy of the progress made and the unexpected serendipity of things falling into place. Even as I mourn the losses, I’m going to focus on the lessons learned and the joy of being around the people, places, and things that I love and loved before they are, were, or will be gone. And yes, I’m going to try and improve some stuff in 2023, I’m not just going to wallow in the stuff that didn’t work out in 2022.

After all, that time has come and gone. We’re not getting it back, so why chase bad time with good?

I hope you will join me in a more celebratory reflection of the last year. Post your wins in the comments if you like. I hope the coming year brings you all the joy and success you desire

Happy New Year, y’all. Welcome to the future.