A few days ago, as is a custom for many during this holiday season or at the end of any given journey, I began looking back at what the year 2014 has been. What I got out of my time of reflection was totally different from what I had in mind three or four weeks ago as I engaged in a very interesting conversation with a friend of mine who was encouraging me to get in the habit of noting and celebrating every achievement no matter how small. At the time that conversation happened, I was overwhelmed, concerned and frustrated because of the many things which did not go according to the plans I had for this year, and I could hardly see the good in what this year has been. Off the top of my head, I had no more than 2 or 3 things I considered as minor achievements worth just a minute of celebration while the rest and biggest part of my journey appeared to have been a nightmare.
But as I sat down this week and began reflecting on the year 2014 again, I thought to myself “it can’t have been that bad.Surely there are many good things that happened this year which I should be grateful for”. When I took a closer look at what my journey has been, I remembered one extra good thing that happened to me this year – a course I took which positively shaped my way of thinking and set me on a path to growth and success in my personal and professional life. I have to say taking this course brought positive results in my life. “This was something worth noting” I whispered to myself! And in that moment I realized the list of good things that happen to us each year can be endless but very often we let our failures and pain – which no matter how long they last, will not remain permanent – obstruct our thinking and provide us with only a shallow view of what every experience we go through truly is.
So, as you go through the last days of 2014 and reflect on what this year has been for you, take a closer look at every experience you’ve had, you’ll see the positive even in that which on the surface appeared to be nothing but a challenge.
Perhaps you’ve done all you can to find something good to take away from 2014 but still can’t see it and all you need is a positive word to lift your spirits. Perhaps all you need is someone to tell you that things are and can be OK. Click on the pop-up that follows and find out more about what this article is really all about.