Dear 2018, I want you to know that you have given me so many lessons this year. And for that, I will be eternally grateful. You have provided me with so much perspective that I badly needed to grow into a better human being. You gave me so many losses this year but I now know that they were necessary losses. My setbacks forced me to really reevaluate my approach to life in general and I am now better off for it.
It’s because of you that I now see my genuine potential. It’s because of you that I now understand that I am destined for greatness. It’s because of you that I now see the path that has been laid out for me. This year, I learned that in order for me to be truly successful, I’m going to have to go through some very tough struggles; through some seemingly impossible tasks. It’s because of these struggles wherein I learned to harden my armor; to toughen me up for greater challenges and climbs in life.
I used to associate ending with regret and fear of how things would never be the same. But now, I have come to see that on the heel of every goodbye, it’s the start of a new beginning that I need. That when something ends, there is no cause for alarm or fear that my life is taking a turn for the worse. Instead, I should focus on the abundance of new opportunities and blessing coming my way.
You taught me to take a leap of faith when my deepest insecurity almost forbid me to take that plunge. You allowed me to believe in that faint hope that whispered, ‘why not’ when I was racked in misery. You stretched my comfort zone by forcing me to confront my fear instead of running away. You tested my resilience, my persistence, and my determination to live truly and authentically and I was so glad that I rise above the challenges and be myself.
This year, I really learned that change can sometimes be painful and uncomfortable. However, I have also grown to learn that that discomfort is actually necessary. I have come to learn that pain is often a sign of growth and strengthening. I have definitely come to learn that struggles are good because they signify that a person is still moving forward. I have come to realize that pain is a sign of life and vitality.
It’s because of you that I have learned that I always have to be brave and courageous if I’m going to make the most of the opportunities that will be afforded to me. Because of you, I have learned that I always need to stay positive even when I am faced with various challenges and struggles in life. You have taught me to always believe in myself because I have no other choice if I truly want to succeed. You have taught me to always keep the faith even when the whole world is practically forcing me to give up. You have taught me that it’s okay to take risks; to believe that it’s better to have tried and failed than to have never tried at all.
It was in this year where I learned to always be appreciative of what was right in front of me. You taught me that I always had to stay in the moment. You taught me to never be blind to the great things that were taking place in my life. This year, you taught me how important it is to let go of the past because I should never be defined by my personal history.
You taught me that even though I have to be planning for the future, I should never do so at the expense of the present. You taught me that very thing may or may not happen for a reason – but I am the one who always needs to be finding the reason in the things that happen in my life. It is because of you that I am as resilient as ever; that I now understand the importance of powering through despite adversity.
I won’t say that your lessons were very easy to learn – but I will say that all of your lessons came at a time when I needed them the most.
Underneath your rough exterior, you were actually a bundle of love and care for me. You gave off a very tough and intimidating vibe, but I know that you were only looking out for me. Even though you scared me stiff and you pushed me to my limits, I was always able to find solace in the fact that I would become a better person at the end of it all. Yes, there were some very rough times wherein I thought I would break. But I didn’t. I was bent but I never broke. And I’m now better off for it.
