I spent the final days of 2022 in quiet reflection of the incredible year of travel I had. I spent the first week of the new year reconnecting with family and sharing our discoveries from our collective end of year reflections.

I’m in awe of the year I had.

Seriously, what was this past year?

It was nothing short of a whirlwind of red letters. This year I did exactly what I wanted. I went where I wanted. I got what I wanted.

Usually, I make do. Like…(metaphor time), “Here are the ingredients the universe has handed you; make the most of them.”
And I do. The meal turns out good enough.

But this year was different. This year, I knew what I wanted to whip up for myself. Last year, I went to the market. I sourced the exact ingredients I needed to make the meal I wanted to eat. And it was a buffet. And we’re not talking after church, Golden Corral buffet. We’re talking continental smorgasbord. It was everything and more (Charles Dickens reference).

And that’s what’s got me so pumped up. Endorphins flowing. Dopamine surging.

And I kept trying to figure out why this particular year differed from the rest. And, after days of mental back and forth, it all boils down to this: This year was the best for me because I chose it.

Autonomy to make choices for yourself is really something. And I’m not talking about the freedom to settle for the good enough out of the limited options. I’m talking about the ability to choose your own path is so exciting and refreshing. I wish I had taken the helm sooner.

And maybe everyone has already got it figured out, and I’m late to the party. I always saw those platitudes about going after what you want and I was like…” yeah, yeah, I’m doing it,” without assessing if I was actually going after my dreams or just settling for good enough. Now the “ah-ha” light has gone off. This is what those motivational; quotes have been talking about all along.

I really hope everyone can feel the way I’m feeling right now.

If you haven’t already, take time for your own end of year reflections. You could reflect on if you are living the life you dreamed. Maybe your reflection doesn’t involve travel. Maybe your dreams aren’t travel based. Really assess if you have lost sight of your dreams. And remember that they are still possible. IS your life getting you closer to your dreams? Let me know what 2022 taught you in the comments.

#dreammore #dreambigger #dopaminerush #sheisnotlost #travelmore #positiveenergy #affirmations #womensempowerment