Whew. So, it's over. 2016--the year of...well, there are really too many adjectives, verbs and hyperbolic phrases that could be inserted there, so that's where I think we should start.
I am a huge fan of moving forward--I don't even like to put my car in reverse if I can help it--true story--but I also recognize the value of taking a backward glance from time to time. I mean, how else can you see:
1) how far you've gone
2) how much you've left to go
3) where the twists, turns and pot holes in the roads were
Now, for me, of all of those, #3 means the most.
Like I said, I am a fan of moving forward, but most of the time, the natural enemy to forward thinking or really any kind of positive progression, is repetition. The repetition of a mistake is the most obvious deterrant to progression because it usually means going backward, but even repeating things that worked out for you can be detrimental to progress because it could mean that you are comfortable and not taking any more risks, and then, consequently, you can't "really" progress. Personally, I like to see where things went bananas for me, or where I made a wrong turn, or how taking the shortcut would've helped me had I only listened to someone else.
So, usually right around now, I allow me the time I need to take stock of my personal and professional situations. I should do this more often than just the start of a new year, I know this, but something about the symbolism of starting at 1 just speaks to me, so here I am.
What I noticed I did way too much last year was to let things that were either out of my control, or not really fixable in the first place, define who I was. As a result, I spent too much of 2016 feeling like a colossal failure. Thus, for 2017, I have decided to form BOTH an interpretation and a life plan from something I read by accident over break. It was a quote from a long-dead German author named Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (that G name is actually pronounced "Gert-A), and it states: "Things that matter most should never be at the mercy of things that matter least."
I am trying to find a sign that says that, but so far, no luck.
Now, its your turn.
First--I want you to fill in that sentence I started at the beginning: "2016--the year of ____________". Explain your choice.
Second, of the three reasons I listed for why looking back is good, which one do you see the most value in and why? Explain in detail.
Finally, moving forward in whatever area of life you want to focus on, how would you like to proceed that is AT LEAST marginally different then whatever you did last year?
2016, the year of Ls
ReplyDeleteIt was just a year of Ls. Hella Ls, everywhere. Ls here, Ls there, Ls were taking everywhere in 2016. From getting curved to not making the playoffs in football, 2016 was a year full of Ls. 2017 isn’t any better either, took me less than 24 hours to catch my first L. I lost the championship of my fantasy league, by 6 points, I missed out on 45 dollars.
Of the 3 reasons why looking back is good, I believe the most important is looking at the twists, turns and potholes are. They’re what shapes you. Your challenges in life are really what makes you \who you are. They’re the lessons learned, never forget them.
I’m just tryna take some Ws in 2017. Get some good grades, look better, feel better all the cliche resolutions. 2016 was really just disappointments. I just want to keep on this track that I’m on. I( just want to better myself and take some Ws.
2016, the year of maturity.
ReplyDeleteI choose this phrase because this year I got my license, a car, a job and bills. This was the year that I expanded my friend group, looked at colleges and started seriously planning for the future. Every year prior, I’ve spoken of future plans but this year was when I took action. I guess this is the beginning of adulthood.
Like you, I believe that the 3rd choice is the most important to reflect on. Looking back on where the twists, turns and potholes in the roads were is important for future trips down a similar road. If you learn from your mistakes, chances are you won’t end up with the same problems.
This year I would like to give myself more me-time. It is so easy for me to consume my time with other people. Often I feel obliged to split my time like a pie and give everyone a piece-- I think it is imperative for me to focus on myself for once. College will most likely facilitate this notion. I hope that this year will bring more independence and self-reliance since I’ll be out of Mays Landing. All in all, I want to better myself emotionally and intellectually. Hopefully next year I can say, “2017, the year of progress.”
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ReplyDelete2016, the year of growing-up
DeleteAt the beginning of the year I told myself that in September I would be senior. I needed to prepare for college, really just grow up. I knew it was time to clean my shit and get my stuff together. Step 1 of the process was getting rid of something holding me back. Something that was not letting me prosper, make my own decisions to be honest. And although I did not realize step 1 of the process until somewhere in the summer, I still did other little things to begin growing-up. For example, I matured a lot more and realized more that everyone deserves to be treated nicely, even those who may not deserve it. The next step was coming to a decision on what I was going to do. To be more accurate, on what my career was going to be. This whole time I told myself I wanted to be an X-ray Technician because I heard my Aunt talk about it up in North Jersey and how I should become an x-ray tech. I looked a little into what it was and since I really had no idea what I was going to do, I was just like “screw it” and went with it. The following step came towards the end of year when I started rethinking where I was going to go for college. Originally, I wanted to go to ACCC for the simple fact of NJ Stars and I could get a job as an x-ray tech in a couple of years (and because the something wanted me to go there). But then I started to think:
1) I would be missing out on the college experience
2) This was never the school I wanted to go to
3) There was nothing holding me back from deciding not to go there
And thanks to a special someone, I was able to conclude that I did not want to go to ACCC.
The growing-up process still continues because I have yet to apply to any schools. I am looking at 3 schools right now and don’t worry I will most likely apply to them Sunday. The only true deadline I have is for my #1 school, which is Feb. 1, every other has rolling admissions. But I will not let the words “rolling admission” get the better of me and procrastinate. I’ll get on them Sunday.
The best value of taking a backward glance is definitely where the twists, turns, and potholes in the road were. Wisdom comes from experience and I hope to relay this valuable information to others in the future. Especially when it is a decision that you will be paying lots of money for and will lead you to the career you will most likely be doing for the rest of your life. Seeing the mistakes I made is the only way to improve. In my opinion, there is no growth without setbacks. You overcoming a bump in the road is the best growth. This is why when a lot of professional athletes get injured they come back stronger. The lessons I learned will not be forgotten.
I would like to proceed my life this year with decisions made by me. I want someone there who is not trying to impact what decision I make and will support me no matter what. And I think I found that person. This year will be a good year, I can just tell. And not just for me, but for everyone.
2016--the year of stagnation
ReplyDeleteOf the three reasons you listed, the first one is the most valuable to me. Looking back to see how far you have come is something positive to look back too and I wouldn’t want to start a year off thinking back negatively. If I were to look back on the things I’ve let go, I would begin to question if letting it go was the right decision, even if I knew it was. Like for example, say this thing that I let go is a person. If I were to look back on them and how I let them go even if it was for valid reason I would wonder if maybe things have changed enough to slowly bring them back into my life. While by some miracle this could end up not being a mistake, knowing me it would be a huge one. If I were to look back on to all the bumps in the road, well first off that would take me probably the entire year, but it would also be a more negative way to start the year. Looking back on how far I’ve gone and how much I’ve grown would allow me to see the more positive aspects of the year. I could compare how I handle certain situations now compared to the start of the last year, or how I handle certain people. It would allow me to think about the things I’ve learned along the way and apply it to the new year. For this year I would like to progress more, whether that be mentally, physically, emotionally or socially. Last year, for the majority of the year, I was stuck. Every couple of months I would look around and realize that everything was the same as the months before and I had no idea how to change that or I was too scared for the change. This year I will actively change things and embrace the change that I cannot control.
2016: The Year of Willpower
ReplyDeleteIt takes a lot for me to get out of bed in the morning. The fact that I get up at all still baffles me. For a while, I felt that I had zero reasons to rise every morning and show my face. It was rough. At some points, 2016 had gotten the best out of me and I wouldn't have anything left in me to fight. But towards the end, I found reasons in myself to get up; not that they'd ever gone anywhere, but they came back to me. Everyday before I get out of bed, I think, who are you doing this for, and the answer is always me.
The most valuable of the three reasons is the one about the future. I've spent so much time planning out my future and I am beyond excited to see how far I'll go. Even if everything doesn't go as planned and I fall off my path a little bit, that's fine because it all has to work out in the end somehow. I'm invested in my future because that's the only way to go, forward. Yes, it's important that I remember how I got to where I am and yeah I should reflect on the bumps in the road or mistakes I made so I don't end up taking that same path or making those mistakes again, but I can't build a house in the past and live there. All I can do is look back, remember the times, and keep it pushin.
2017 is "The Year of Bre" as my mother calls it. I'm graduating high school and I'm about to be off on my own. With that being said, I want this year to be the year that I better myself. As a person, I want to grow and get better in every aspect possible. Mentally and emotionally, I just want to be sound. I want to be content and all of those changes start with me.
2016-- the year of maturity.
ReplyDeleteIn 2016 I really have truly grown as a person. I realized not every situation requires a reaction, I realized I do not have any time for the games or bs, I have a job, I have a car, I’m planning for my future outside of high school, I’ve lost people who have meant the world to me, I experienced heart breaks, traumatic events, so so much. But despite all of that I have grown and matured. I’ve been told that I’ve changed. And to some that’s bad and to others it’s good. But the only thing that has changed about me is one: I’m actually genuinely, truly, happy, and two: I don’t have the patience, energy, nor the time to argue and put up with pettiness, arguments, all that nonsense. I have so much to do and get done and to worry about. I’ve matured that I have to pay for my own things now; and I have to decide between my wants and needs. Yes, my parents still provide for me and my basic necessities, and if I were to ask them for money for something I would more than likely receive it, but then am I really maturing? Pretty soon I’ll be living on my own in the real world. Paying my own bills, and sitting at my kitchen table determining if I need to pay my phone bill or go out to eat with friends, etc. So I just decided to start now. Also I just feel like who I am as a person matured.
Out of the three, the first one, how far I’ve come is the most valuable. I’ve been through some shit, excuse my french but that really describes what I’ve gone through. And for a while I thought I wouldn’t be happy again, or I actually sat back and thought everything that’s happened, and thought to myself I don’t want to go through stuff anymore. And I’ve also thought to myself, “Damn Angela, you’ve been through all that and still manage to be bright and here today.” And yes, I do say this because occasionally I talk to myself, not in a weird/ crazy/ schizophrenic way. But whenever things get hard I just think you’ve been through harder stuff before this is nothing. I always talk myself through difficult times. And honestly as much as I don’t want to say this, but everything that has occurred in my lifetime to me is a blessing. Because if it weren’t for the shit I’ve been through I wouldn’t be who I am today, and I wouldn’t have such a positive look on life. So I always think of how far I’ve come because it makes me, me.
I want to not be so so so compassionate. I feel like some people truly don’t deserve my reaction, words, looks, or time of day. And I don’t mean that in a cocky way either. I mean if they did me wrong or have made me feel worthless they don’t deserve absolutely anything from me. And I really need to work on it because I just always give people chance after chance when they don’t deserve it. I will still see all the different perspectives but I’ll be careful with my kindness and forgiveness.
2016—the year of countdowns.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to moving forward I can go both ways, I am definitely a fan but I am most definitely not a pro. I suck at moving forward, I hold onto things and can hold grudges forever- which is actually a quality I hate about myself. I can look back on 2016 with ease, comfort, peace, and a bit of sadness; but I have come so far. I got over my ex boyfriend which I never thought would happen, I ran into some amazing guy named Anthony, I outgrew friends I decided weren’t growing with me, I accepting the fact that I am 17 and the future is real so I joined the military, and I started caring about school, for the most part. I got my license, starting giving my parents the money they deserve for my car insurance and phone bill.
Looking back can be a good thing, but it can also be a horrible thing. I look back when Anthony left for basic when we had 110 days to go, and I swore it would never come, but now I have another countdown of 41 days until I see him again. Looking back at everything I overcame, accomplished, and faced head-on is the reason I can call myself strong and be confident. With the good though also comes the bad and 2016 had its horribles. I cannot think of February without thinking of Cole and then my heartbreaks all over again and I cannot think of July without thinking of mourning the one-year of a life turning week.
I want 2017 to be a year of smiles. I understand life is not rainbows and butterflies and sugar and hardships and bad days will happen, but I will also try and be positive. I know that sounds crazy because everyday I walk into “204” and scream “F this F that F these people” blah blah blah but deep down I am happy. And I am content. And I am lucky to be surrounded by such amazing people in 204. 2017 will not be an easy year because in less than 8 months I will be at Lackland with drill sergeants down my throat, but I will do my best to smile then too. I probably shouldn’t smile when they are yelling at me though, that would be a bad day for me. I need to stop rambling on; I am just excited to take on my future with such an open mind.
2016, the year of growing up.
ReplyDeleteLots of things happened in 2016, the real college search began, I committed, I became an adult (18!!!), I buckled down on school work and rowing, I gained more freedom and trust from my parents, I got a car, and had the best job in the world. 2016/junior year was full of growing up. Junior year meant buckling down on my school work and being more serious when it came to what I want to make out of my life. My college search really began and I had college visits and an official and I had to start thinking of what I wanted my college to have and what major I wanted to study and everything else that. ones with picking a college. And finally I committed to row and study Secondary Math Education at Old Dominion University #ODU !!! Along with being more serious with school I also had to be serious when it came to rowing if I wanted to row in college. 2016 is when I finally broke 8 minutes on my 2k at GreenHeads which gave me a better chance to be noticed by colleges! Then the best part of 2016 was my summer! In the summer I had a well paying job that I loved while also gaining so much trust and freedom from my parents. Since I was a lifeguard in Brigantine there were a lot of nights where I would go out with the other guards and just end up sleeping in Brig. At one point it was Wednesday and I was sitting at work and I realized I hadn't been home since Sunday morning. In addition to all this growing up, I also got a car ("the family got a car but you get the privilege of using it") this helped me drive to late practices, work and now school. And how could I forget I also became an adult !!!!! December 15th, 2016 Haley Florence Crispell turned 18years old at 2:18 am. Lots and lots of growing up happened this past year.
And now just like everyone else I also believe that #3, "where the twists, turns and potholes in the roads were" is the most important reason to look back. Life in general is about moving forward and growing as a person. In order to grow you need to learn from your mistakes and the only way you can learn from them is if you look back and see where you made them so you can prevent them when something similar happens again.
2017 seems to be so far a less stressful year compared to 2016. I already know where I'm going and what I'm doing and now I just have to get there. To get there I need to continue to push myself with my grades. I need to give myself times to legitimately study and do my homework so I am not cramming it in the period before. Also I am ergging more than I ever have!! No swim on Sundays=ergging, no swim one day over break=ergging, no swim because snow today= you will see me on the erg in about an hour. This year so far is getting dedicated to me so I can continue to better myself and prepare myself for college.
2016, the year of experiences.
ReplyDelete2016 was the year of experiences for me because a lot has happened and I have experienced a lot in the past 365 days. Some good and some bad, but all worth learning from. I would not change anything that has happened last year because I am now stronger and smarter than I was before. I am definitely going to remember the year of 2016.
Looking back on the year of 2016 and moving into 2017, you can see how much, or little, progress you have made and can now see how much you have left to go to get to where you want to be. I see the second choice to be the most valuable because entering a new year you can see how far you came and how far you have to go to accomplish what you want. Seeing how much you have left to go can be motivating for some people in their efforts in becoming who they want to be, doing what they want to do, or going where they want to go.
Moving forward into the new year, I would like to focus more on bettering myself, physically and mentally. There were always things I did not like about myself and this year I want to improve upon those things. I was told at a young age that the most important person in your life is yourself, and in the past year I have forgotten that and put others and things before my own well being. Therefore, this year I want to focus on myself and focus on bettering myself and recover from last year. That way I can become a better version of myself.
2016, the year of learning
ReplyDeleteI guess this year has been my most hectic thus far, but maybe that is how I feel every year because I can see so much of it and remember so much of it. A year ago at 12 am on new years I kissed this boy I liked maybe. I don't know I'm still with the boul. I learned the most about me being with that son of a b. Weird that a relationship has taught me so much. Weird I don't even mean relationship. This year has taught me a lot about feelings and taught me a lot about pain and heartbreak and taught me a lot about my friends and my environment. It has taught me to care and to be there in every way possible. It has taught that I can pick and choose parts of my old life and the new things I have learned and merge them to make me-me.
Looking bacK? I don't know. I replay conversations from years ago over and over usually out of guilt or regret or sadness but mostly because I want to change it. I wish I didn't do that.
I guess looking back might change ur perspective and might make you want to do better but I'm not sure.
Moving forward? Well, I'm trying and these 6 months of school arent helping. So much stuff. There is so many things I have to deal with. I hate this stupid routine of school and grades and homework with people and teachers who don't want to be there. I want to see something new. It is terrible how bad my senioritis is because goddamn. I hope I push myself a little more and grow some confidence balls.
2016--the year of realization.
ReplyDeleteTwenty-sixteen has been a hell of a year. It was definitely a rollercoaster that had its many bumps and turns. But, for every rocky bump, there was a wonderful turn-around. So much has happened to me and to this community during 2016; so much came into the light and so many realizations were made. I realized that I needed to experience more and take more risks. I realized that I am now becoming an adult and have to be more mature. I realized who my true friends are. I realized how important mental and physical health is. I realized that no matter how messed up this world is; I can bring some good into it. I realized that I still don’t know who I want to be. And while all these realizations fall under different categories, and seemingly have barely any correlation to one another, they in part all branch out from the biggest realization that I made. I realized that the year 2016 was my push to better myself and figure myself out.
College is just around the corner of this rollercoaster and it’s safe to say that our lives have not yet begun. So, while many of us (including myself) are majorly suffering from senioritis, I think that it’s best if we all look backwards just to see how much we have left to go. We all have our lives ahead of us and I think we truly forget that sometimes. We see high school as the end of our road rather than a checkpoint. And I believe that that has to do with the fact that we’ve grown up around the same people our whole lives and just realizing that we are now going our separate ways in which we may never see each other again is mind-boggling. High school is just four years of our lives and we have about maybe 80 years ahead of us, and that right there just completely shuts me down because I can’t imagine my first day of college without my friends, let alone a whole 80 years down the line. I forget that there is more to my life than just sitting on my couch in Mays Landing. Which is why looking to see how much we have left to go is so important. It reminds us that our lives don’t just stop here at graduation. We have to keep moving forward and keep experiencing new things that are so foreign to us, no matter how scary they might be. I’m terrified of having to live on my own and be in a place without the comfort of a friend when I go to college, yet I also can’t wait because of the fact that it’s a new experience and new lesson. Through moments of greatness, moments of sadness, and moments of hardships we must continue to look and see the life we have ahead of us and remember that everything that happens is only going to be significant for a blink of an eye compared to everything we have to look forward to.
I mentioned how 2016 was the year of realization, in which I recognized that I had to understand who I am. Twenty-seventeen, hopefully, will be my year of understanding. The only way to do that is to explore myself and find out whom I am deep inside. And I feel like the only way to do that is to start fresh and alone. Which is why it’s the perfect opportunity to do so this year as college is frighteningly fast approaching. I don’t know if I am prepared yet to do this self-discovery, especially in a completely new and foreign environment, surrounded by people that I don’t know, but it’s a risk that I definitely will have to take (because I literally have no choice). The only thing that calms my nerves is the fact that college is eight months away, which means that I have more than half a year left to spend with my the fantastic people in my life. Last year, I realized the risks that I will have to take in order to grow. This year, I’m going to take them.
2016 was my year of complete realization. Over the years I have done many things on my own. Not to say that other people haven't, but i give it up to them, it isn't easy. One of the lessons I have been taught is that if you want something, you need to go get it yourself. In life there is no such things as handouts, no such thing as someone that will do everything for you. I've also learned that not everyone who you thought would stay in your life, will not always be there. I've lost people, friends, even family. Letting people go is hard but with each of them leaving it's a valuable lesson that I will use everyday when encountering new people. One of the simple things that I've learned this past year was to save money. Every bit of money you can, because later it WILL help you.
ReplyDeleteLooking back is always good, because it shows the things you've been through and how you won't make the same mistakes again. A sentence that i see value in is "How much you've left to go". I see the most value in this because letting go of people and things isn't always bad. Bad people that you don't need can influence negative energy on you. At the end of the day, who wants negativity in there life? Letting go of things such as a bad diet can help in many ways. Being healthier can make you happier. Putting negative things and bad habits in the past can help you better yourself as a person and can help you live a simpler and happier life.
Finally, moving forward in my life is something I've wanted to do for a very long time. This year, I cut off all bad ties. I've learned keeping people around me who care about if I get home safe, if I ate that day, if I'm passing all my classes are the people that i need to surround myself with. I will stop living in the past and the only thing that i will focus on is the future.
2016-- the year of loss. No, I don’t mean I took L’s the entire year. I mean I lost a lot of people in 2016-- a lot of people who were and remain close to my heart. One of the biggest losses of 2016 was the passing of my Uncle Paul, but that’s as far as I’ll go on that one before I start crying in Weisback’s room as I write this and he has to awkwardly excuse himself from the room like the last time I cried-- true story. 2016 as a whole was just one big shit ball of a year. Whether it was losing someone dear to me, or losing something dear to me, I just kept losing. I lost people in my life starting in march of 2016 and it kept going until December when I lost my grandfather. It was a difficult year for me because of all the loss I suffered. I got through it… but I hope this year is different and more people come into my life than leave it.
ReplyDeleteOf the three reasons looking back is good, I resonate best with looking back is good because it shows how far you’ve gone. Too many people complain about how much they have left to do, to go, until they’re finished, but if you didn’t go through the “how far you’ve gone” you’d be even further from your intended end point. It’s important to look back on how far you gotten because each moment you’ve lived up until then is to be cherished. Without those moments, you wouldn’t be where you are now or how far you are at that point. It’s valuable to look back on how far you’ve gone because it shows how much you’ve accomplished so far and that is always a great lifter- upper when you may feel down about something. There’s only moving forward and getting better from your past so look back on it and continue to do what works and get even further, or make better choices and get to where you want to go.
I’d like to move forward and accept the loss of 2016 and welcome people into my 2017. I often dwell on loss, whether it’s a person or a thing and I always think that what I had, again whether it be a person or a thing, was the best out there and no one can replace them/ that after they’re gone. But. what I need to is stop looking at it as “replacing,” and look at it as accepting. Of course I’m not going to find a loud old man to be my Uncle Paul, but what I can do is accept that he is gone and allow other people to fill in the gap in my heart where he used to be (figuratively-- even though it is already figurative to begin with-- because I still love him and he still has a place in my heart, but just because he’s gone I can’t avoid other people coming in. This year is about new beginnings with new people.
2016, the year of self love.
ReplyDelete2016 was the most draining year I've lived out of my 17 years on earth. I was always into something that made me more sad than happy and I never knew how to speak my mind about it. I fought a lot with the people I loved most. Bad habits slowly ruined who I was but fortunately I'm better than ever. Now I put myself first (to a limit) and I would never let someone have that much over me ever again. I don't really mind what people say to me even if its my family, or my friends, or someone else who I love. So in 2016, I hit rock bottom and I also came right back better than ever.
I learn from my mistakes and the choices I made, good or bad. So looking back I would mostly look for the twists and turns because that's where I became me. Yes, I love good memories and I like to see how much I'be grown but I wouldn't be able be me without the bumps in the road. It's about your climb. Not about how fast you got there. Just the fact that you did.
Hmmm, I want to be more well rounded. I don't really know how to describe that but I want to look better, get a good grade in AP Stats for once, get money so I don't have to ask my parents, and make other people so happy. Last year I spent too much time crying and making up excuses. This year I'm gonna be optimistic and straight up as possible. I', trying to avoid college right now so I guess I also hope my first semester goes well too. :)
2016--the year of learning.
ReplyDeleteDuring 2016, I learned a lot about myself. I learned that I'm much more patient than I ever thought I could be. I learned that even if you put 100% into something, it won’t always work out. I learned that it's better to live in the moment than to imagine things in the future. Imagining things in the future can get your hopes up, then it can lead to disappointment.
The best reason to look back at the past is to learn what went wrong and see the pot holes I had to go through to get to where I am today. If I look and see what I did wrong, I'll be able to prevent that in the future. I'll be able to deal with situations better than I did previously. For example, if I mess up in a relationship, then I can look back and see what I did wrong so I don't make the same mistake in the future.
Moving forward, I want to be more spontaneous and say what comes to my mind. I feel like I over think things which makes situations harder than they really are. If I stop over thinking, then I will be able to live in the moment and I won't worry about things as much as I have previously.
2016 the year of sadness. This by far was one of the worst years I encountered. There wasn't a day that went by that I wasn't sad or disappointed or had no one to lean on. It was full of darkness, something I never felt before. Every time I thought something would go right, it would go 100 times wrong. It was the year that I thought was going to be the best one but sadly it wasn't. It may have seemed like the best year because i always covered it up with a smile but deep down I was dying inside. Everything that year went wrong and I don't know what I could have done to fix it.
ReplyDeleteI believe looking at how far I've gone is the most important one to me. I look back and I've came a long way and for anyone whose known me my whole life would agree also. I'm a completely different person and I couldn't be prouder of myself. I use to be this shy, weird, baby girl who was too afraid of what people would say and didn't want to be alone without her sister. Now I'm no longer shy, I don't care at all what people say, I do things on my own but I'm still a little weird. I've came such a long way and my coaches and teachers from when I was little tell me all the time how proud they are and how far I came and it brings joy to my heart. I would have never thought I would be the person I am today and I don't know how I became who I am but I'm glad I did.
Going into 2017 I would like to focus on better myself as a person. I want to focus more on me and not everyone else. Making sure I do what's best for me despite everybody else opinions.
2016--the year of GAINZ. I started lifting in 2016 and now it is a huge part of my life, and now I cannot even imagine not lifting. That was probably the best thing that came out of 2016, for me. The third reason is probably the most valuable reason to look back on the past. I am a huge believer in learning from your mistakes and the only way to learn from your mistakes is to go back and realize what they were. Then you have to figure out how you could have avoided your mistakes and made your situation better. In 2017 I have already made lifting goals or resolutions. I promised that I would incorporate leg day, because I am not proportionate, and I already have. I would also like to lift at least six days a week during the off season and four to five days during the season, but since I have been sick that has not been going so well. 2017 is going to be the year that I improved my body and do what's best for it, I have not always taken the best care of myself, but now I'm putting my health first.
ReplyDelete2016 the year from Hell. This year I took the biggest Ls (plural) of my life. 2016 was really a very difficult year for me and it started out being difficult very early on. I think the pain of last year is definitely going to flow over into this year and all the years to come but I'm drift okay going to get better at coping with each new year. I think looking back on how far you have made it is really important. I think everyone looks at the mistakes and thinks about how much progress they need to make enough of the time. Looking back and all your progress is good because it helps you stay positive about the future. You need to remember how strong you are because sometimes life can make you feel really small inside and you need to remember you're not. This year I want to make sure that I don't get myself caught up in anything unnecessary. Last year I was dragged into a lot of nonsense and I don't want that to continue. I need to do what's best for me and put my happiness first. Hopefully this year I master the art of being at least a little bit selfish.
ReplyDelete2016-- the year of love.
ReplyDeleteThis year has been a tough year, not going to lie. We’ve faced many challenges, both in our community and in our society. But I feel like with all of this destruction, came a lot of love. Maybe I’m an idiot for saying this, but I feel like this year, we’ve come together more. This year, we fought more for our rights. This year, we were more welcoming. This year, we’ve come to realize that love is love is love. I, personally, have never felt more love, more belonging, in my whole entire life than I have last year. And because of this, I hope to continue on loving and spreading love for years on end.
I believe that by looking back on where the twists, the turns, and the potholes in the roads were, you grow as a person. You don’t regret anything, you don’t get mad at anything, you just simply reflect. You learn from these twists, you understand these turns, and you come to accept these potholes. That did not make any sense whatsoever, but you guys get what I’m saying. I feel like in order to grow, you can’t just avoid all of your problems. You have to “be one” with them. You are the way you are because of these challenges.
This year, I want to be more open to people. College is just around the corner, and that means new people. And although I’m not that bad at talking to people, I never start conversations. And I want to change that. I love hearing other people’s stories, and I love sharing my own. I feel like other than music, storytelling is one way we all can connect with one another. That, and continuing to be happy, those are my resolutions for this year.
“2016- the year of love and finding myself.” I never have really had some amazing, life changing year ever before. I’ve just thought of years as in good and bad memories. But 2016 was a year worth thinking back on. The year of love and finding myself. For most of my high school years I was a lost young girl. Did not really know myself, did not really act my true self. I was immature and just not at my best. My junior year started off iffy but over time and into 2016 everything changed. Literally in january of the new year, I fell in love with Bernard. And I believe that kind of just changed me. He brought out the best in me and brought my true self out of hiding. Being in love with him and being loved by him created the best year of my life. It is creating the best years of my life. 2016 was also the year which molded me into who I really am. The start of senior year I kind of just really became myself and embraced that to everyone. What I mean by that, is I stopped caring about what others think. I lost all tolerance for people. Basically, I became myself a sweet,caring person who can be the biggest bitch ever. I realized I am not social. I am not a people person, I do not like people. I have my few select friends and that is it. I bonded with newer people than my usual friends who I find to have a lot in common with. This blog is all over the place I am sorry I just can’t like organize my thoughts right now I am just letting it all spill out. Anyway, so I really realized my true identity in 2016. I am more of a loner believe it or not, I really do not like a lot of people at all and yes I can be a bitch and I know that now and I will not change that. I found myself in 2016 and I am so so happy about it.
ReplyDeleteI believe the most important thing to look back on is how far you have come. Your self-growth, your weak moments and how you got out, everything that changed you. I have come so far and I admire that the most.
This last question is really hard to answer. I really do not know what I want to do differently this year. I feel like because 2016 was so great I can’t really think to what I would do differently. This sounds so dumb and basic but the only thing I can really think of is my diet. To feel better I am supposed to stick to this diet and this year that is something I really want to do. I want to stick with the diet and not just stop like I did last year.
“2016—the year of L’s”
ReplyDeleteOf all the reasons listed number 1 is the most relevant to me, “how far have I come?” is a question that I often ask myself. The problem is that last year I made no progress. I’ve become stagnant which is very disappointing to me, then again it seem is am almost always disappointed with myself. Anyway, I love progress, I love to grow to constantly try to better myself. Looking at life this way is good when you’ve made progress but when you’ve failed at every end of the spectrum you set for yourself it can become very depressing. Struggle is necessary for growth though so looking at life as the struggle it is hopefully will lead me to growth as a person but I just haven’t seen the results yet.
Moving on to 2017 I hope that I can find hope again. Sophomore year I wrote a poem depicting myself as a bitter old man and the older I get the more similarities I see between myself and the Oldman. This greatly saddens me but there is no way I can stop it anymore, after years of trying to hold back these feelings it’s finally became too much but that is just how life is. The last time I did a new year’s resolution was in 2014 and im going to list everything that was on that resolution:
1. Focus on track
2. Get straight A’s
3. Don’t care about people that screwed me over
4. Become more bitter and less forgiving
5. No more second chances (cause in the end you’ll just get hurt0
6. Enjoy life and not focus on the negative
7. Go to parties
8. Be more outgoing
9. Live how I want not how everyone else wants me too
I have not grown from this person which is so pathetic, the person I hated to become is the one that I am now and maybe that is my destiny. To feel lonely and to one day wish to find happiness. Now the story of the old man finished with something like this “love never gives up on you, you must give up on it. To hope to find it and look for it in all aspects of life, once hope is gone love can never return.”
2016-- the year of learning and disappointment.
ReplyDeleteAs the saying goes, "you learn something new everyday." Well, it took me a whole year to realize that disappointment only comes when you have high hopes. High hopes are the reason why CRAZY girlfriends exist and high hopes are the reason why Asian parents get upset when their child gets a B+. People think they deserve better, which they probably do deserve better, but they always get the shitty end of things. It's usually the good people too. They're too humble. They let the bad guys steal all the good shit.
I hate to say it but, all the over thinkers out there in the world (me included) should stop thinking. Stop thinking about all the possible scenarios and stop getting your hopes up high. The higher it goes, the harder the fall back down when it doesn't go as planned.
I have a looooong way to go. I still suffer from getting my hopes high. And let me tell you, I'm so sick and tired of being shitted on. Maybe I'm just not good enough for those people. God only knows. I'm praying 2017 will do me right for once. I've learned my lesson though.
2016 the year of regrets.
ReplyDeleteAlthough not everything that happened in 2016 was bad, surely the bad outweighs the good. I have learned a lot coming into 2017 that I never would have if what happened last year hadn't all occurred. But still I can wish that it all hadn’t. The weirdest part is I am not just referring to one thing- it is everything. I regret not opening up more, then I regret opening up too much, I regret messing up important relationships, I regret not having a voice to speak up for myself, I regret just being a follower, there is still just so much regret. Yet, I wish I could say I have moved on from these things but I have not. My daily thoughts are flooded with the regrets of my past wrongdoings and in 2017 I do not wish to move up I wish to learn how to cope.
With note that I can speak vastly upon the negatives I must make a point to in life to mention how far I have come. For without a little pit stop from time to time to check on everything and acknowledge where we are in life we would get lost. 2016 has brought me to 217 and I know you are thinking “well no duh I’m bad at math but I know how years work” but I’m serious. My 2016 decisions and outcomes and whatever the hell else has made me in 2017 just a tad bit different. It has brought me to the now where although still a little screwy I am ready to tackle some things head on. Now maybe they are things that I pretended to have all together in 2016 or maybe they are things that I should have already done. But that is all besides the point, the point is I've come a long way. I know I am sure as hell no where close to having all my shit together but at least now I don't have to start from scratch. It's just time to keep working.
Everyone needs to stop and take note of how far they have come. Getting stuck, getting safe, getting comfortable it’s all terribly too dangerous. So we look back, knowledge so that we can move on.
Moving on I have one main way obvious thing that I need to work. Once I can tackle this( it will probs take the rest of my living existence) everything will become much smoother. Self- acceptance. In my personal opinion no such thing as complete self acceptance ever exists. But that is part of what I need to work on. My eyes, opinion, even definition of self acceptance have been oh so narrow. In 2017 I hope to grow to love myself more not just physically but I want to love what I do more, why, just everything. When ultimate self acceptance and love occurs everything will fall into place. I know that not until then will I truly be able to give others the love they deserve and I can't wait until that happens.
ReplyDelete2016- the year of defeat. In 2016, I let a lot of things hold me back, bring me down, or alter my my present and future state of being. Of course some of the things I feel defeated me were out of my control, but even then, I chose what to let and not to let have an affect on me at the end of the day. I feel like abuse defeated me, in more areas than domestic abuse but domestic abuse being the main perpetrator. I realize my mistake in blinding myself from it, in embracing it for whatever reason, in allowing myself to feel comfortable in it. So, as these paths usually lead to substance abuse, I arrived at that destination as well and left, promptly, with near-death and near imprisonment as my chauffeurs. Injustice defeated me in 2016, although, in the end I will surely defeat it whether it be in regards to my own case with injustice or injustice as a whole. Maybe, these things considered, 2016 was the year of letting go; of falling down, which would consequently mean 2017 has to be the year of getting up.
Looking back is mostly about realizing where things went wrong. There will always be accomplishments to praise yourself on, but too much praise for the past can deprive your motivation to continue your success pattern, or, so I’ve learned about myself, anyway. Looking ahead, about how far you still have left to go, brings you either hope or despair, nothing in between, which will either help you get up in the morning or make sure you don’t. Hope is important, and so is balanced praise, but the most important thing to do, the most beneficial way to “look back”, is to learn from your past, to recognize where and why things went wrong. This way, you can strive not only to see another day but to see another, even better day.
Last year was the journey of finding myself: who I am, who I want to be and how those two drastically different people compare. This year, I want to embrace myself. I want to make changes in my life that attribute to my morals, my beliefs, my happiness, what I truly want. I want to exercise my strengths, rise above the wounds I have. I don’t want to let anything else hold me back from accomplishing the things I want to accomplish; the things I know I can accomplish despite what my parents peers or anyone else thinks. I want to get back up… I will get back up.
2016- the year of growth.
ReplyDelete2016 was a big year for me. I finally got comfortable in a new school, I made new friends, I learned a lot about relationships (both romantic and platonic). I learned that it's okay to ask for help when you need it and I started to learn how to cope with my anxiety. I can honestly say that I am almost an entirely different person compared to who I was around this time last year. Even though I've made mistakes and intend to make more in the future, I've learned from them and will continue to learn from them; growing is a steady process that you can only take one day at a time, one misstep at a time.
Looking back is good because you can see how far you've gone, how much you've progressed. Despite my seemingly persistent pessimism, I actually tend to see the glass as half full most of the time; when reading a book, I reflect on how many pages I've read, not how many I have til I finish the book. And I think it’s important to view your progress as an achievement from page 1 to page 100 because, at least for me, it gives me the motivation to read the next 100 pages. But sometimes this mindset is hard to accomplish. When running the mile, for example, it's hard to congratulate yourself on running two laps around the track when there's still two laps ahead. But I'm working on it. Hopefully I'll soon be able to finish those last two laps with excitement and stay motivated til I cross the finish line (if I ever do track again, technically speaking. This was kind of a metaphor).
Branching off of this concept, I’d like to focus on becoming more positive in 2017. I want to see the glass as half full all the time, not just sometimes. A lot of this has to do with calming my anxiety. Whenever I become really anxious, I start to focus on the negative. I automatically assume the worst because I never want to feel like a deer in headlights; I want to be prepared for even the worst of situations. But this mindset is ineffective and it only heightens my anxiety. Instead, I should focus on the bright side. Whenever I feel an anxiety attack coming on, I need to realize that everything will turn out fine in the end. Thinking of the color light blue helps me a lot with achieving this mindset; I mentally picture myself standing in my happy place, in the middle of a field at frost valley, staring up at the bright blue sky. I know it sounds corny to “picture your happy place”, but it really does work. Another thing I tell myself is that dogs will still greet me on the street and want me to pet them, no matter how badly I mess up. It's stupid, I know, but this makes me realize how huge the world is and how insignificant I am and therefore, how insignificant my mistakes are. Some people can't stand the feeling of being insignificant and tiny in this huge universe, but I find it very comforting; it makes me feel like I'm a part of something bigger than myself.
2016--the year of realization.
ReplyDeleteUsually I would start by saying how my life is a series of unfortunate events but that would be dramatic. It’s been filled with surprising relief and heartbreaking conversations.
I moved in with my aunt and uncle on November 16, 2015. It was rocky in the beginning when I lived in the basement and adjusted to knowing where everything was. I saw my mom on weekends or she came over to enjoy dinner with us. My uncle and I aren’t blood but we are damn close. He is like my second dad. Just way more leanit. My aunt is a weed-head. She’s very real and harsh but in a good way. She wants you to have a better life than her. She is very crazy. They have contributed to my personality and future. They yelled, cried and laughed with/at me. This year was way more tears. I hated myself for a couple days. I was confident a little more this year. It was a rollercoaster.
My family made me realize I am almost 18 and college is around the corner. I have to get my shit together. Before I moved in with my aunt and uncle, I had no idea what to do with college. No one was telling me what I should do. My mom kept telling me to do something but I didn’t know what was suppose to get done. MY parents never went to college so they had little to no experience. I hadn’t had any help. So this year was hard. I didn’t think my future self was going to go anywhere and I was going to be a bum. I cried. I was lonely sometimes. It was emotional. I was emotional. So I am just happy that I will be going to college and have my life together.
2016-the year of realization.
ReplyDelete2016 was a year full of struggle for me. "Where the twists, turns, and potholes in the road were"; I had struggled trying to achieve my goals, while my "family", stepped all over me, and tried to make those goals seem impossible to achieve. being that I was a seventeen year old minor, I felt obligated to have to listen, process, and obey whatever command was given to me by those irrelevant beings that I used to call "family". Every time I wanted to speak my peace, and let them know that anything they tell me to do, I will go against and continue doing what I was pursuing in to achieve my goal."How much you've left to go"; Once my eighteenth birthday came close, I not only counted down the days, but the hours as well, only because I felt that once I had turned eighteen, I had full access to exercise my right as an American citizen of freedom of speech, and to do anything that would help me gain success legally, without having to be told what I can and what I cannot achieve."How far you’ve gone”; Only a few weeks after having turned eighteen, had I realized, that I did not need a specific number to identify whether or not I had rights to make my own decisions, and control my life the way I felt fit. After the end of 2016, Had I regret not taking the wheel of my life into my own hands for control. No matter what it is you feel to be destined for your future, never let anyone, or anything, even a number, identify if whether or not you are able to pursue into your goal.
2016- a year of losing myself.
ReplyDelete2016 was a blur to me, until now. It definitely wasn’t good to me. Sucked to say the least. At the beginning of every year, I set goals and tell myself that I’m gonna make it a good year, but I never accomplish them. I let myself get off track and pay for my own consequences. However, this is no surprise. I’ve realized that I do this to myself repeatedly, despite the year. I isolated myself from the people that I most care about. I lost friends and found it really hard making new ones because I couldn’t let them get close to me. As cliché as this sounds, I’m like a grenade that might explode one day, ruining everything in my life. I fear hurting people and not feeling good enough for them. Most of the time, I don’t even express my true feelings. Even the ones I wholeheartedly want to express. It’s all a tease. I just loveee to complicate my life:))(((
I feel lost. My world is like a dark tunnel and I’m trying to find a way out. I saw the light a couple times, but I can't seem to reach it; like I’m stuck. I pray and hope that it’ll get better, but it just feels like a waiting game. When will it get better? Because I’m desperate. I don’t know who I am any more; I don’t know who I’ll become, I don’t know when I’ll find myself. I don’t know. I want to know. I want answers. I NEED answers.
I really did try to keep 2016 and the rest of these depressing times behind me, but it’s really hard. I always find myself going down memory lane and put myself down for my mistakes. I can’t let it go.
I’m not gonna set goals for myself because why bother if I never accomplish them? I don’t know how 2017 will be. Hopefully less depressing than last year and the previous years. Now, I just live each day trying to be positive.
2016-the year of experience
ReplyDeleteI’ve seen a lot of things happen in 2016 that really changed my perspective on how I look at the world. Having new responsibilities and really seeing how cruel the world really is as everyone's says it is. College will be another experience that I’ll be looking forward to but I think 2016 has prepared me for the upcoming challenges that I will face in college. I’ve also been let down by the people I trusted most in this past year. I guess its a lone wolf type of world. Of course you’ll always have family but how long until they stop supporting you. Experiences that’ll I will always remember no matter what troubles I may have in life, 2016 will be a year to remember.
2016 the year of….. well more like “2016, just another year.” Every year has it's ups and down. My life seems repetitive. It has the same drama going on in my family (only in 2017 I've been way more of an adult and spoken my mind instead of being a bitch and just saying okay and shutting my mouth when told. There's also been a lot of the same reasons for happiness. Whether a person, my friends, my dog, family or video games. Only thing that seems to change each year is my classes and that some people come and some people go but I go with the flow.. ya know? When I think of a new year I think of my mom tbh. If you say any year since I was born the first thing I'll think about is “what did my mom do and not do that year.. ha what DIDN'T she do?” And then I get upset cuz I realize it'll never change. When I think of the new year I just don't seem to care. I just like the fact I'm out of school but that's about it. My grandmother died New Year's Day, guess that's why I can't seem to count down without tearing up and thinking of counting down next to his bedside at the hospital and his lifeless yet somehow still living body not being able to cheer with us. Yea idrc to be honest.
ReplyDeleteI think seeing how far you've gone is a great thing so look into. It shows you how much you have grown throughout the years and in many cases how you have matured and strengthened which is great to recognize. I like seeing how I've grown and matured and also kind of embarrassed to see how I used to be. But that's alright because I know better now and have more to learn as well and I'm ready for that and ready to take challenges head on with knowledge of everything I've learned in life so far with hopes to learn new things ahead in my life.
I am going to move forward and get rid off the negativity in my life and become more positive and surround myself with more positivity. I want to be healthier mentally physically and emotionally and being a lot strong in all of those areas, A LOT stronger. I want to get rid of the negativity and unhealthy things and people in my life so I can be surrounded with the positivity to motivate me to better myself and reach my goals to live the life I want to live. I want to and will be in control of my own life for once.