Happy New Year - Reflections

It is now the year 2019, one year before we go into the 3rd decade of this still young century. Ten years ago, in 2009, my life was a complete shambles. My sister died in mid-2008 and I was still in mourning; I was laid off for the third time in six years; I found low paying, back breaking work that was literally beneath my skill set and educational background, but rent demanded I set aside pride and do whatever work I could to pay bills. My credit rating was completely fucked, I refilled my last prescription of muscle relaxants so that I could relax and get good sleep so that I could be strong and focused for the next day's bullshit. I sent out so many resumes and went on a few interviews, but nothing. The recession destroyed Michigan, and my spirit. It was then that I decide that I would have to move out of state for my personal and career well being, and spiritual growth and happiness.

Ten years later, I wake up this New Year's Day in California, and I'm so incredibly grateful that I survived some of the toughest years as an adult. I'm amazed that I'm not addicted to drugs or alcohol, because I have had so many missteps and mistakes with my career that I recall quite easily. Sometimes things have to happen in order for destiny to force you to make an out of the box decision regarding your life. I've seen too many unkind, unprofessional, uncouth, backstabbing, stupid people ascend to the levels of success that were just a dream to me, and it gutted me. But alas, I dealt with the shocking bullshit and I'm here, now, I'm happy. I still have some goals to accomplish, but for the most part, I'm glad to be alive, healthy, and still a nice person who is patiently waiting for the final puzzle pieces to add to my life.

The year 2019 is going to be good and fun, here are just a few events and goals I'm looking forward to:

• Securing full-time employment. I'm a contractor at an excellent organization, I may be offered a full-time job in my current department, or get one in another department. This is the year I secure a benefited position with a company I can retire from.
• Becoming much more dedicated to the practice of yoga, and meeting some other fitness goals including losing 10-12 lbs. I want to run in a 5k race in the next 12-18 months.
• I'll be attending the Palm Springs Int'l Film Festival next weekend
• My family is coming to visit me in April
• I will be attending Coachella for the first time the week after my family visits.
• My long overdue trip to Italy is in May
• I will be attending Comic Con in San Diego in July

So at least the first half of the new year will be quite exciting for me, and I know the second part will be fun as well.

If you're reading this and your life has seriously sucked in recent years and you have a black cloud hanging over your head like I did, you need to sit down and think about what you need to do to make yourself happy. There are things that have happened to you and will happen to you that will be completely out of your control. But what you can control is how you respond to those events. Get in the driver's seat and guide yourself as to where you want to be in a year from now, or even further down the road. Some plans take time and cannot manifest overnight. 

Don't get caught up in material desires, just deal with the most basic things that you can afford right now and take care of yourself. Even during my most darkest days, I treated myself to a day at the museum, or my favorite sushi meal, or went to see a movie. I plotted and planned my big move to California for five years, and with very, very hard work (as well as going back to college for a graduate degree), somehow, I was very confident that I would succeed. Do you know why? I was so far below what my expectations were for how I wanted to live my life, that there was only one way out of my situation but UP.

I'm committed to making 2019 a great turning point in my life where I will reflect back in 2029, and be in a position to write about what a great year 2019 was for me ten years ago!