It seems like 2016 was pretty much one of the hardest years for everyone that I’ve talked to. We have all collectively decided that it was a dumpster fire (as seen by the numerous memes of such) that skidded to the end like a slow motion train wreck that we couldn’t stop looking at. I mean, any year that starts off with David Bowie dying is pretty much going to suck.

With that being said, I had the best intentions for 2016. I was hoping that politically, this country would move toward human rights, helping people out of poverty, and electing one of my favorite political figures of at least the last decade (I pretty much bleed Bernie). However, America went the completely opposite way, and those proverbial chickens are going to be coming home to roost in just a few short days. But all that political turmoil and the joke that was our election cycle wasn’t even the worst part of the year. There’s been so much vitriol and hate circulating that it’s been extraordinarily difficult to keep a level head for an empath like me.

2016 has been challenging at best, to put it mildly. Personally, I was hoping to focus more on the things that matter to me, like working fewer hours and spending more time with my young daughter and husband. I changed jobs to facilitate that happening, but I ended up working just as many hours as with my previous job, but thankfully in a better environment. Yes, my job is still stressful and riddled with nonsense and adult children, its closer to home, and a variety of other plusses. My big great plan for 2016 was to start my own business and to begin the process of working for myself. Yet again, 2016 was the year that wouldn’t quit. All of those plans stalled in their infancy and have almost become an albatross instead of uplifting me.  I’ve taken numerous steps toward my dream of being self-employed once again, but it simply hasn’t come to pass.

I’m truly hopeful that 2017 will be different.

I think that’s one of my main switches recently is that even though everything has gone to hell in a handbasket throughout this year, I’m still hopeful that 2017 will be better. That’s not to say we aren’t in for a bumpy ride, because we are, given the state of politics and social concerns as of late. Yet, I still believe that I’ve just got this one life to live right now and bogging myself down to the point of paralysis isn’t doing me any favors. Every day I wake up and do everything I can to make sure that my family is taken care of and that I remain as healthy as possible.

I’ve been letting my mental and physical health slip a little this last year and I’ve already started making changes to get back on track. I’m doing yoga and meditating in the mornings now, so I can start my days off right. If only the holidays were a distant memory, so I could go back to working at 6am, instead of 5. That would be swell. Only one more week of these early hours until I go back to the regularly scheduled programming.

Anyway, I hope that 2017 finds you and yours happy and healthy. More to come this year from me so don’t worry. Writing is definitely on my agenda for this year, lots of it. Thanks for reading and I hope this year works out for all of us.