BREATHE IN, BREATHE OUT: Moving Past 2015
Exhale.
It's after midnight on December 31st, officially making it the last day of the year - and all I can think to do is exhale.
I didn't even realize that holding my breath had become a habit until recently. While working on my vision board for 2016 and reviewing what 2015 was for me, I caught myself holding my breath. A lot. It didn't take much for me to hypothesize that that was my psychosomatic response both in anticipation of what's to come, and in reaction to what had already come to pass. I flinch and hold my breath when I think about what 2015 was. I hold my breath and pray when I think about what I hope 2016 will be.
I had some wins in 2015, but if I'm being honest about this past year, it was simply about keeping my head above water. This year I juggled the most balls I've ever juggled, so it's no surprise to me that I didn't feel like I progressed as far as I would have wanted - I was too busy standing in one spot, trying to keep all the balls in the air. I grew and I learned a lot, but didn't move forward in a way that signifies a level of success for me - so while this year wasn't terrible (asking myself "But did you (or anyone you love) die though?" helps keep things in perspective), it wasn't one of my best.
I hold my breath when I'm nervous. Or when I'm panicky and overwhelmed. Or when I'm happy and excited (and sometimes subconsciously expecting something bad to happen next). I held my breath when I walked back into work for my first day after mat leave, and when I was about to film a segment for a TV show, and when I awaited news to see if I earned a fellowship position (that I didn't get). I held my breath when Little Magician took her first steps, and when I stood up for myself in ways I never imagined I would have. There were good moments and great moments - but when I looked back at my resolutions for 2015 and saw that very few of them came to pass, I realized that I failed to breathe life into my year.
Moving into 2016, I plan to hold my breath less and breathe more. I want to inspire and be inspired, and those very words aren't possible without the intimation of breathing. I want to keep growing, but also progress in life - so those balls I'm juggling? I have to graduate from standing in one spot and watching myself toss and catch them, to learning how to keep them in the air while looking and moving forward.
Here's to the year that was and the year that will be. And if nothing else, I'll remember to breathe.
