At the end of December, I typically do an end-of-year recap. A highlight reel. The places I went, the events I attended, the special memories that stood out over others.
This year’s post is going to be a bit different.
For starters, I’m a couple days late in publishing this considering we’ve already celebrated the start of the new year.
But, more importantly, when I sat down to reflect upon this past year, it wasn’t the things that I did that came to mind. It was the lessons I learned, the mindset that shifted, the self-love that I manifested.
2017 taught me so much about myself.
I imagined it would be the hardest year of my life. Living in an entirely different state than my family and friends. Not doing what I love. With a horrible human being of a president. And a husband in his second year of medical school. Jumping from one diet to the next. Just trying to figure out who the hell I was when I wasn’t teaching.
But 2017 could easily be viewed as the best year of my life.
The year I found my true self.
Instead of doing a recap of all the things I did, I’m going to do a recap of my favorite posts I’ve shared.
I attribute a lot of my personal growth to writing and journaling this past year. Having this blog and my Facebook page has truly been a blessing for me. With each post that came pouring out of me, I experienced both therapy and validation. Sure, not all of the feedback has been rainbows and butterflies. But, more often than not, I’ve heard a lot of “me too” and “thank you for sharing.”
It’s addicting. The feeling you get when someone resonates with a caption you post or an experience you had. I’ve been taught my whole life that my personal struggles should be swept under the rug, not talked about. So I spent a good 30 years of my life denying my feelings. Pretending they didn’t exist.
But, through writing in an open forum like this one, I find that people are not as judgmental as I once thought. That I don’t need to be scared of opening up and sharing my stories. That there is so much more I have in common with other people and I feel all the more connected by being honest and vulnerable.
So I continue writing. And, in the process, I continue growing.
My Favorite Facebook Posts of 2017
- That time I realized I should be treating myself the way I treat my students.
- That time I recognized that my workouts are not a punishment. Rather, they are a privilege.
- That time I forgave myself for having an “off week” or two.
- That time I decided to accept my past and embrace it. Because you cannot hate the experiences that shape you.
- That time I discovered my online journal and broke down in tears. Because I felt sad for the little girl that once hated herself so much.
- That time I was reminded how much of my life I live in the past, in the future, and in my mind. Anywhere but the present moment.
- That time I read Brene Brown’s new book and realized how vital it is for us to connect with others. Especially those that feel impossible to connect with.
- That time I got carried away on Twitter and realized how judgmental I was being. Because it’s easy to hide behind a screen and spew out hateful shit. Lesson learned.
- That time I gave myself permission to eat what I wanted, say what I felt, and have the confidence of a three-year old. (It worked).
- That time I realized I set impossible expectations for myself. And I should be kinder to my self and treat myself with the love I give the people I care about.
- That time I expressed gratitude for the struggles I faced with self-image and weight loss. Because when something keeps showing up in your life, there’s a reason for it. Another opportunity to pick up new tools, develop new skills, and learn how to navigate whatever it may be a little more efficiently.
- That time I embraced my name.
- That time I learned a valuable lesson from a dog. Dogs and kids. They’re seriously the best teachers.
- That time I shared what my gratitude practice looks like. And why it’s so absolutely needed to live a life filled with love. When you consistently practice gratitude, you go through the day looking for it.
- That time I flew back home for the holidays and realized how much I had changed with all this inner work I’ve been doing. There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you, yourself, have been altered.
- That time I gave a big “fuck you” to all resolutions and suggestions that I should change who I am because I’m not good enough. I hate the “new year, new you!” mentality and everything that comes along with it.
- That time I ate pizza on January 1st and nobody died.
- That time I vowed that 2018 would be imperfect. And I would love every moment of it. Because it just meant that I was being present and in tune with my body and my mind.
My Favorite Blog Posts of 2017
- Why Unexpected Friendships Can Be The Best Ones
- It’s time to cut out the countdowns and the “when I’m X, then I’ll be Y.” Happiness is in the Present.
- To me, love is everything. Relationships are what sustain me. And why that’s not such a bad thing.
- Every time I spend time at home, I walk away saying these three words.
- Unsubscribing to Podcasts. Realizing that I stay stuck in habits and relationships because I’m afraid of how much time and energy I’ve already invested in them. (It’s OK to LET GO!)
- Do more of what makes you happy. No, but seriously.
- I finally got the validation that I’ve been seeking my entire life. Surprisingly, it’s not in the way I once imagined.
- That time I shared my old journal with the world.
- Sometimes your life can take a drastic detour. And sometimes it happens after you watch an Instagram Live video.
- Connection is why we are here. We are hardwired to connect with others.
- When I experienced a quarter-life crisis (because I’m going to live until I’m 120. Duh). What happens when your entire identity is stripped from you?
- When I was self-sabotaging. And realized that I need to unpack my emotional baggage. One layer at a time.
- A small exercise I’ve been doing to get out of my mind and back in to my body.
- How one child and his meltdowns have effectively altered my perception of our world and my self.
- An Open Letter to the Teens of Today. (I didn’t write this one. But it is, hands down, one of my favorite posts because it is so absolutely needed).
Phew.
That was a lot of writing.
But, I swear, it’s the writing that has changed me. The self-reflection. The a-ha moments I have mid-blog post. And the reading and re-reading of my words. Because it’s easy to forget the feelings and all the growth I have made. I continue to have days where the struggle is all-too-real. Days where I look in the mirror and hate what I see and fall back into that 20-year-old mindset. But that’s normal. Shitty days are normal.
It’s hard to remember the self-love and the positive body image and the amazing growth I’ve made on those shitty days.
But that’s why I wrote it all down.
Here’s to an amazing year ahead.
May it be filled with valuable lessons, personal growth, more writing, and a whole lotta love.
Questions of the Day:
- What are some of your 2017 highlights?
- Do you have a vision or a mantra for 2018?
So good to hear honesty and your heartfelt words. Growth goes on through the decades and we often re-visit teenagerhood – it’s ups and downs. It has once been said we are not adults but grown up children. May we re-visit the good attitude of our childhoods – the freshness, great expectations and not carry burdens that bring us down. Thanks for sharing.
Writing everything down in my bullet journal has helped me to see my growth too! It’s so easy for us to forget where we started and think we’ve made no progress, but writing it all down means there’s proof!
Kalyn recently posted…How I Got My @$&# Together | Soul Inspiration
I am also working on being in the present moment more often.
It’s inspiring to see your self love growing throughout the year!
This is fantastic, I’m so glad that blogging this year helped you discover yourself and has helped you grow as a person and that overall 2017 was a good year for you. I hope 2018 is just a great, if not, even better!!
Beth recently posted…Currently 1.3.18
I love this! I want to focus more on personal posts and pursuits this year for my blog, because i like connecting with others and I love reading these posts on other blogs. I’m not completely changing the blog though – it’ll still be a good mix. My word of the year is Adventure- I think I’ll try and come up with monthly goals to go along with it, but really I just want to be okay with trying new things, failing at new things, and seeing the world around me (even if it’s in my own backyard).
-Lauren
ShootingStarsMag recently posted…January 2018 Currently + Unwrapped (a New Link Up)
I couldn’t agree more. Writing (and blogging) is so therapeutic. That’s amazing that 2017 was such a fantastic year Divya 🙂 Here’s to another spectacular year ahead!
You are AMAZING. What a year of writing and learning and growing you’ve had! I hope it was gratifying to put it all in one place, because it sure is impressive. I particularly love that you say that this could have been the hardest year of your life, but it wasn’t–because you’re choosing to see what you’ve gained from it. That’s so inspiring.
Brene Brown’s new book was helpful for me, too–I’m still digesting it two months later, figuring out what it means for how I think about and approach the world. It definitely helped me to not feel naively idealistic in believing that deep down, the vast majority of people aren’t bad–they all have their own motivations developed from their incredibly complex personal experiences, just like I do. Have I shut some people out who I felt were overly judgmental in precisely the wrong ways during this extremely stressful political age? You bet–for my own sanity. But her book certainly backed up the empathy that I carry with me that’s sometimes a blessing, but often a burden–it’s not a bad thing, it’s what makes us human.
Happy New Year–hope it’s less stressful but just as powerful. Can’t wait to see what you create! <3
Robin recently posted…New Year Quotes & Inspiration for 2018 (Plus, My Year in Review!)
I have to say 2017 was the worst year of my life. Hands down. I’m hopeful 2018 doesn’t suck as bad. Crossing fingers!!!
I, too, have benefited so much from writing this year. But, Divya, look at those lists! You’ve accomplished SO much this year, and grown so much, too. And those two things are worth more than anything. I’m continually impressed with your insight and wisdom and the way you share your thoughts. Keep it up! 🙂
Sounds like you had an amazing year and I hope that 2018 is as wonderful.
I find writing and blogging to be therapeutic – to jot down thoughts in your head and arrange them into a blog post is so calming. I look forward to reading more of your blog this year.
Wishing you all the best for this New Year.
It sounds like you had such an amazing year! I remember some of these posts and there are so many more I want to come back and read. 🙂
2017 was a hard, rewarding, insane year for me! I found I was pregnant on January 1st and had just launched my blog. So lots of work, lots of fatigue but lots of joy and excitement 🙂
Shelby @Fitasamamabear recently posted…5 Tips To Go Dairy Free
I love that it was the best year of your life. I enjoyed reading your posts and could tell that you grew a lot in that time. Congratulations!!
I’m so glad we’ve connected this year Divya! I love your blog, your writing, and your vulnerability. I have some catching up to do! I’ll have to keep coming back to this post until I read everything you’ve linked to! Thanks for sharing so much of yourself with us. Happy 2018!
Courtney A. Casto recently posted…Marry Someone Resourceful
Right back at you! I feel like we’ve got so much in common and I’d love to connect further in 2018! <3
Right back at you! I feel like we’ve got so much in common and I’d love to connect further in 2018! <3
Oh, Divya… I just love YOU, your heart, and your words so much. I have seen incredible growth from you this past year, and it’s wonderful to see you acknowledge these things, too. There will ALWAYS be shitty days when we feel not right with the world but acceptance and self-love can help us through many of those darker moments. I love that you are journaling and writing your feelings down in a therapeutic, nonjudgemental environment–but that (perhaps more importantly) you’re realizing how healthy it is. To the woman you were and the woman you constantly are evolving into <3
Sending all good thoughts for 2018. I have loved every entry I've read here and look forward to much more from you this year 🙂 Happy New Year, friend! XOXO
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Right back at you <3 Love connecting with you in this online space. We need to do a real life meet-up with the PP!
We really do! Or maybe even just a skype session in the meantime until we can make it happen IRL 🙂
XOXO and hope you have a great week, momma!
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