Dare to look beyond the difficult

I’ve noticed something interesting that we tend to do when facing disappointment, discontent, and discouragement. We tend to have “all or nothing” thinking.

Have you caught yourself saying any of these:

  • “This year has been really tough.”
  • “This has been the worst year ever.”
  • “This year can be done already and never come back.”
  • “I’m over this year.”

While those statements may be partially true, they are not wholly true. There’s always beauty, goodness, hope, and possibility if we dare to look for it.

If we’ve been connected for more than a few months, you know 2023 has been incredibly difficult for me. I’ve experienced 9+ months of mysterious health challenges which has been fairly devastating for my life and leadership. I caught myself saying all of those statements above, but they weren’t sitting well within me … because there’s more that’s been true of this year.

So, on Monday I spent some of my monthly solitude day going through our 2023 Year in Review, and I was quickly humbled at all I had missed, overlooked, dismissed, and minimized in this difficult year.

There’s been so much good this year! I’ve grown so much. There’s been so much transformation in my soul. I have experienced miracles and deeply meaningful experiences. A few friendships have been life-changing.

I would’ve missed out on remembering all that good if I didn’t look back and look within before I ran to look ahead to 2024.

I urge you, don’t miss the opportunity to review your year. Don’t waste the hard by forgetting the good. Don’t lose sight of this year’s gifts because of the difficulty you’ve experienced.

Your brain may default to “all or nothing” thinking, but you can train your mind to think differently.

You can download our fourth annual Year in Review now. It’s our most downloaded resource ever. 🧡

I hope you’ll make time before the ball drops to look back, look within, and look ahead. Your life is worth it.