As sure as you can count on the sun rising every morning, another year has come and gone and once again we’re faced with another 365 days of fresh opportunities and possibilities. Although, nothing quite life-changing happened to me in 2017, I can say that through my journey I’ve learned more about myself. About myself? With over three decades of existence, how much more can one learn about themselves? Well, tons actually. 2017 blew by so quickly, but now more so than ever, I’m even more convinced that I’m on the right path I was meant to be on. Not to minimize past experiences and knowledge I have acquired along the way, but without passion and certainty there’s no guarantee for positive outcomes. Of course, even then, there’s no guarantee in life. How cliché!

Is 2018 going to be another repetition of “New Year, New Me” redundancies, unattainable goals for self, and unrealistic resolutions? Yes and no. I’m too old for these “New Year, New Me” promises and I’m quite content with the “me” I am today. What would I like to see? I guess, just more of the same “me”. No matter how damaged and troubled we sometimes see ourselves, I feel that in all honesty we are the best versions of the “me” we are meant to be. We all rise and fall. But at the end of the day, we are no one else but our best self.

My feelings about 2018 are a little mixed. It’s the year of the dog and in the Chinese culture the number 8 brings the best of luck. It’s a big year for me with the last two years of blood, sweat, and tears (almost too literal) coming to fruition. The varying levels of anxiety, anticipation, apprehension, and excitement have been building up in intensity over the last couple of months – almost driving me mad. I’ve gained invaluable knowledge, made lifelong friendships, and truly figured out my purpose.

2017 was a busy year for me – not having ample time for family, friends, and myself. This year’s resolution is simple (and one I’ve made before), I need to take some time off for myself and reflect. With that, I would like to be able to write at least one blog entry per month. Not the craziest of resolutions, but a realistic one that will force myself to take time off for myself.

So, here’s to 2018. May it be the year you desire it to be. Cheers!