As the year comes to a close, I find myself reflecting (by my Christmas tree 😊).  Here is my open letter to 2022 and the lessons it gave me.

Dear 2022,

How’s it going?  If 2021 was a year heading in the right direction, you were a constant barrage of curveballs and challenges. 

• My theme this year was “Channel the Chaos.”  I don’t know if I could have picked a more accurate theme.  Maybe I’m a prophet. #Embrydamus
• I felt like a lion tamer for most of the year.  Instead of lions, I did my best to tame internal processes, random fires, and a slew of challenges.  Anyone else feel this way?  I was bitten and clawed along the way, but still here.  Persevering matters, even when it’s ugly.
• Speaking of persevering, 2022 continued to teach me grit.  I feel like I spent 49.9% of the year getting knocked down, and 50.1% of the year standing back up, shaking off the hit, and leaning in again.  This seemed consistent whether it was at work or at home.  I don’t think those are the ideal percentages, but as long as I get up one more time than I was knocked down, it’s a win.  Next year I’m hoping to be more at 30/70 or something 😉
• My goal every year is to do magic, to do something so incredible that the only explanation for it is sorcery.  In my best moments this year (as a husband, dad, friend, employee), I think I had magic and then some.  In my best moments I felt like I was a wizard, seeing all the elements come together.  Even though those moments were fleeting, they were beautiful. 
• Every year I gain a deeper appreciation for health.  This year I gained a deeper appreciation for how intertwined mental, emotional, and physical health are.  I cherish these things on a new level and will fight harder to keep them. 
• I was reminded of how amazing my family is.  I don’t know of too many people stronger than my wife and kids.  How blessed am I to have them?  In so many ways my wife is the model of the parent I want to be, and my kids have so much more resilience than I ever would have possessed at their age.  #blessed
• Growth is a tricky thing.  You don’t always see it or feel it as it’s happening.  I learned to not confuse the lack of feeling growth with the lack of growth.  If I’m being super honest, I didn’t even see or think about my growth at work this year until yesterday during my end of the year conversation when my boss started pointing stuff out to me.  I was too blinded by surviving the grind to see it.
• At the beginning of the year, I had a goal to do 4 obstacle course races.  I did 5, including my Spartan Trifecta.  May not be a big deal to some folks, but it was a stretch goal for me.  It reminded me of how strong I can be physically, mentally, and emotionally.  We always have more strength than we think we do.
• Not meeting your original goals is not the same thing as failing.  Sometimes circumstances change, and the definition of success in new circumstances might be different than what it was in the prior circumstances.  You can only play the cards you are dealt.  Sometimes playing a good hand with bad cards is more impressive than playing a great hand with good cards, even though it won’t always be recognized as such. 
• I was stretched so thin this year that I always felt I was falling short and failing people, and this hurt my soul a bit.  At the same time, just because I felt I was failing everyone didn’t mean everyone felt I was failing them.  I learned to be careful of the stories you tell yourself, because even if there is truth in them it doesn’t always mean they are true. 
• People are beautiful.  Also, people can have ugly actions.  I try to tell myself that when people act in an ugly way, it’s because they are hurt and afraid.  It helps sometimes, but not always.
• Good people are all you really need to get through tough things.  As long as you have a few good people in your life you are set.
• Life is measured in moments.  I can’t tell you what I did most days of the year, but there are some moments that stick out as clear as day.
• I’m looking forward to taking time to recharge, adding some fuel to my internal fire, and getting my shine on in 2023.

Those are things going through my head.  Yours might be similar or different.  Whatever you’re feeling is okay.  Your feelings are your truth.

The challenge:  If you haven’t taken the time, take a few moments to reflect on 2022 and the lessons and emotions it gave to you this year.  How will these shape you moving forward?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry