Year Ends, Year Begins

Year ends, year begins
Current mood: hopeful
Category: Life

In honor of the very first day of the new year, I thought that I would put down some recap of last year, and some hopeful thoughts for 2007. Last night was a great time, spent- like my birthday- at Bar Natasha. There was a great crowd, and more importantly so many of my friends work there. Mix in an incredible show with some of the best singers in town, and it was just a great time all around. It really was important that I had a good time with my birthday and New Years. I really enjoy the holidays, but a lot of times then end up being a little bit of a let-down. Sometimes, like last year's New Year's, was a catastrophe. This year I really tried to make these days where there was no pressure on anyone, and more importantly that I wasn't relying on anyone else or what they wanted. It seems to make sense- though while it took me so long to figure it out, I will never know- that if you want to guarantee that you are going to get what you want, you should do what you want. Another benefit of this is that if for some reason things fall flat, you have only yourself to blame, but also have the ability to make the changes that will make you happy. Last night for example, I think that there were about 12 parties going on that people I like wanted me to go to. I was tempted to go to places I didn't necessarily want to just for loyalty to them, and then realized that when it comes to these occasions I do that far too often. Everyone should be where they want to be on the holidays, and everyone should realize that there are so many things going on that you can never be in all places at once. Looking out over the year, I spent different holidays with different people, and for the most part had a good time at each one, especially towards the end of the year. I think we put so much pressure on ourselves and each other that we forget how great a holiday can be. This year really woke me up to what I was missing. My two best days were when I was single, and some of my closest friends weren't there. It goes to show that sometimes we can't pin our happiness completely on others.

A friend posted this, and I think that it was fun, so I recreated it for myself.

2006 Awards:

1) DRINKING BUDDY OF THE YEAR?
Randy. Hahaha! Ok not really. Ben and Aurelie win this one.

2) LIFETIME SERVICE AWARD - LONGEST FRIEND(S)?
Brian and Emily

3) NEWCOMER AWARD - NEWEST FRIEND?
Shelby & Cody

4) LOW POINT OF THE YEAR?
It was a pretty rocky year. December probably contained some of the lowest points, but also some really good ones.

5) BEST HOLIDAY?
This year, 4^th of July

6) ANTHEM FOR 2006?
Scissor Sisters - Don't Feel Like Dancing

7)ANY REGRETS?
Yes- mostly wasted time.

8) BEST NIGHT OUT?
My birthday.

9) WORST NIGHT OUT?
Midnight New Year's Day (2006)

10) WHO DID YOU SPEND VALENTINE'S WITH?
No one.

11) BEST RELATIONSHIP?
Ha! While it lasted? Cody.

12) WORST RELATIONSHIP?
Rocky… insofar as it wasn't a relationship.

13) FIRST JOB OF THE YEAR?
Making money

14) LAST JOB OF THE YEAR?
Making money

15) BEST DECISION MADE THIS YEAR?
Hiring Randy.

16) WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR NEXT YEAR?
Renew the energy I put into myself and my business to make the changes that I so desperately want to see.

17) MOST STUPID IDEA WHEN DRUNK?
Ha! My stupid ideas can never be blamed on liquor.

18) D0UCHE BAG OF THE YEAR?
Uhm… I think they know who they are.

19) MOST LOYAL FRIEND(S)?
Randy, Chris, and Christopher

20) BIGGEST CHANGE OF THE YEAR?
Buying my house.

To close it out, I mentioned in the awards that I have plans to put renewed energy into myself and my business. One thing that I have realized lately, is that I have always been a person who thinks that you can make your life infinitely better no matter what is going on if you care, and you put effort into it. One of my friends lived in a trailer, and he hated that fact. When you went to his house though, you saw one of the nicest gardens in town, and when you went inside, there were hundreds of different things that he had done to make his place more of a home. He had next to no money, and a bad situation, but because of the effort he put into it and the care that he had, it made a huge difference.

I realized that for some reason, I have not been that person lately. I can point to a lot of different things that have happened personally and professionally that have brought be down. I may have even hit the low point of my life this year. All of this is true, but at the same time somehow I largely forgot the power that I have over my own life. I still did not let my situation completely bring be down, but I simply lost the energy to live my life the way that I had. Anyone who really knows me would call me charismatic and energetic, probably before anything else. I realized that with all that I was letting get to me, I was losing more of those traits than I realized. The changes I made in my life to improve it were good, but not enough. Though I may still have energy and charisma about me, it is not what it once was, and certainly not anywhere near the potential that I have.

I know, better than a lot of people, how malleable the world is. This year, it is my singular goal to bring my considerable efforts back into my own life. This goes from where I live, to my business, and to my self. I don't know all the changes that are going to take place, but a significant shift in my mind has taken place, and I have remembered the valuable lesson that I had somehow forgotten. This year is a year of possibilities for me, and I am excited to embark upon this unknown journey and see where it takes me and what I look like at the end of it.

Carpe Diem indeed.