End Of The Year Realizations

I know I am not the only one who becomes reflective this time of year. It isn’t the holiday season; it has more to do with the end of the year and thinking back at what I have done and what has happened to me. There are many people who judge themselves (and others) too harshly by having regrets. I say they are a waste of time. Can we get in a time machine and go back to reverse our previous choices? Of course not! When others I know start ruminating about the past, I encourage them to focus on the present and future instead. It’s what I tell myself, and it works for me.

This becomes difficult when someone you love is mired in regrets and disappointments about themselves and others. I think we all know at least one person who falls into that category, and in my case it is an individual who I am currently estranged from. I used to get upset when this person shared his uninformed opinions about my life with me, but I have slowly come to the realization that these negative criticisms actually come from a good place. I also know that he is harder on himself than anyone could ever be on him, so I pity his “black and white only” views on life.

Honestly, I can’t worry about what the naysayers have to say: I used to want to save those in my life who fell into this category, but I have given up on this thankless quest after realizing that they were resistant or unable to change for the better. I also know that I definitely don’t have all the answers, and I am focusing more on my own life than ever before. I feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders, and it has helped me in my writing and in other volunteer projects I consider to be worthy of my time.

Do you have any realizations to share as we approach the end of the decade?