One week ago today we were officially half way through 2022. Often called “Halfway Day,” the day is seen as a good time to assess the first half of the year and to plan for the second half. It seems to have come very quickly, as the months have flown by. At least for me. Let’s look back and look forward.
Courtesy Max Lucado
I personally have had a fairly quiet year, save for the aging of my mamma and the loss of our sweet Beagle, Nikki. Our other Beagle, Barry, tore his ACL and had to have major surgery followed by weeks of PT. Minor as it may sound, it was not an easy road. My husband and I celebrated our 36th wedding anniversary this year, which is something we celebrate big. In this day and age, we are so very grateful for our commitment and the little life we’ve created.
My year has been blessed with friends who I’ve come to appreciate more and more this year. Monthly lunches, weekly golf games, theatre and events outings, dinners, visits, and things like book club and bible study have enhanced my year and my life. I can only hope the rest of the year proves the same.
I was so lucky to enjoy fabulous trips to Punta Mita and Sedona, visited my mom in her new assisted living facility, and enjoyed reuniting with my dear college friends during a wedding in Nashville. Both the visit with mom and the wedding weekend were equally joyous and heartbreaking though, much as the year itself has been.
Our country started the year with somewhat high hopes, only to see inflation and crime skyrocket, our southern border virtually disappear, food shortages hit the shelves, gas prices surge, loss of confidence in elected leaders, damages inflicted in our schools and to our military, right to bear arms and right to life debates, and more protests and more division. Our country is not in good shape. Things can get a lot worse but let’s hope and pray they get better. November is right around the corner.
Something else to consider as we hit the mid-year mark is how we’ve done with our New Year’s resolutions. In a blog earlier this year, I suggested New Year’s “Intentions” rather than resolutions as the word just seems more user-friendly. I sent an intention for having more discipline, but sadly I now, at the mid-year mark, find that I really haven’t upped the discipline ante. There’s still time to do so this year, and maybe six months in is the perfect time to reset intentions and goals.
Looking back and examining the first part of this year, I will say one thing I’ve stuck with is having a “word of the year.” The word I picked back in January was “pause,” and I gotta say it has served me so very well. This over-thinker and over-planner sometimes just needs to let it go and telling myself “pause” has worked wonders. Woohoo! Accomplishment done.
Other than not increasing my discipline in certain areas of my life, I do have other regrets and intend to work on them as the year winds down. I regret gaining some of the weight back that I worked so hard to lose three years ago. Blame it on being locked down for months on end; blame it my own lack of discipline. Either way, I’m determined to get back on the plan and take those pounds off once again. I’ve also learned that hopes and dreams are rarely in my control so I’m learning to stop wishing so much and releasing part of the fantasy. Life is good and it’s time to accept it as is and be grateful for my blessings. Perhaps “acceptance” should be right up there with “pause” the rest of the year.
As I’ve written many times, one goal I have every New Year is to learn something new. I feel I can somewhat check that box as I learned to boogie board in Punta Mita. Completely out of my comfort zone, I found it to be so much fun and quite empowering. Keep learning people. Always keep learning.
So as we head into the last six months of 2022, take some time to reflect on the first six months and assess the highs, the lows, and everything in between. What are your accomplishments? What are your regrets? What might the rest of the year hold for you?
Beyond Words 