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It\u2019s hard to believe that 2017 is counting down its last hours. I\u2019m told that the older you get the faster the years go, and \u2013 like most \u2013 I\u2019m finding that to be true. This year has been\u2026different. It has given me much and thankfully (unlike it\u2019s predecessor) taken little. Like all years it has been an emotional rollercoaster, the ups have been brilliant the downs have been at times stomach-churning.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s given me quite a few lessons 2017; the biggest of which is that standing up for yourself is never a bad thing, and if you lose someone in the progress then you are allowed to question whether or not you needed that person in your life at all. It taught me that wounds can be healed almost as easily as they can be reopened, and reminded me once again that the only thing in this life we have any real control over is our reaction to our circumstances even when we can\u2019t do a thing about the circumstances themselves. Our battles are our own, and we while we have companions at arms, the final choice in those battles is always ours and ours alone.<\/p>\n
The rollercoaster doesn\u2019t stop, I\u2019m sure that next year will show me the same lessons again and more than a few new ones\u2026<\/p>\n
Each day, each hour, each year, turns us into the people that we are meant to become.<\/p>\n
So as we dance our way into 2018 take this with you: be who you are. Be kind. Be aware that while you are obligated to no one to be anyone but yourself, your choices and your actions have consequences for others, and those consequences deserve respect. Be understanding. Respect that while you must always stay true to your beliefs that does not give you the right to force them on others, and the phrase \u201cwell, I can\u2019t help it if that\u2019s how you took it\u201d should not be part of anyone\u2019s vocabulary, because the feelings of others are just as important as your own. Be humble enough to apologise when it\u2019s needed and to stand firm when it isn\u2019t. Try to be wise enough to know the difference.<\/p>\n
And overall: succeeding in a different way than you expected does not <\/em>make you a failure. That is perhaps the hardest lesson of all, and remains the most important for so many.<\/p>\n Ride forth into the new year strongly and courageously, and don\u2019t carry your fear with you.<\/p>\n Tomorrow is the start of a 365 page book. Make your story a good one.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It\u2019s hard to believe that 2017 is counting down its last hours. I\u2019m told that the older you get the faster the years go, and \u2013 like most \u2013 I\u2019m finding that to be true. This year has been\u2026different. It … Continue reading