2022.
Photo by Moritz Knöringer on Unsplash
Wow! What a year. 2022 has not been without its challenges, but without a doubt it's been the best year of my life so far.
What a difference a year makes
A year ago, I was in a really bad place mentally:
I was still struggling with bereavement and trying to heal from friendships that were toxic and no longer serving me.
I was renting a place I didn’t like from a horrible landlord and living in a city that wasn’t the right area for me.
I was working in a job that was driving me insane, making me miserable, burning me out and ruining my work-life balance. I was sick and tired of being constantly disrespected, underappreciated, undervalued, humiliated, patronised and scolded. I couldn’t tolerate the aggression, character assassination and hostility I was experiencing. I felt as though my passion for my job was being killed off and diminished, and I wasn’t too happy about that. I was exhausted and depressed.
I was progressing in therapy but life events drove me to take 10 steps back. I felt stagnant so I knew it was time to make some major changes. After all, life is too short to live in a way that is not making you happy, serving you or adding value.
Fast forward a year later…
I'm very proud of all that I have achieved.
I started a new job at the start of this year
I absolutely love my job. I love my career and I love where I work. Switching jobs has completely boosted my mood and changed me. I am now flourishing, thriving and progressing - and pursuing numerous opportunities through work. I am doing well (apparently I am “exceeding expectations” which is what I like to hear from my manager, who’s lovely) and I am so much happier. At the end of last year I felt as though I lost my enthusiasm for my career, but now it’s back and I’m in a much better position. I've spent so much of my career in toxic environments and dealing with negative people, so I'm glad I don't have to deal with any of that anymore.
I relocated from one part of the country to another
I am originally from London, I used to live in Cambridge, but now I live in Surrey. I live in a much better flat in a lovely area and I feel so much happier. My current landlady is very respectful and polite and the total opposite of my ex-landlord, who was awful. I love living in my flat and I am getting used to the area, but I need to explore it a lot more. I am close to the town centre, which is full of shops and restaurants. Best of all, I’m closer to London, which is great for me!
I ceased communication with people who were bringing negativity into my life
Towards the end of 2020 (yes, that far back) I realised that there were too many people in my life who were bringing negativity and toxicity in my life. They were dragging me down and I could see the same pattern recurring in my life over and over again, so I discussed this issue in therapy. I realised that I had to let a lot of toxic people go and I had outgrown relationships that were no longer serving me.
So, throughout 2021, I decided to gradually distance myself, phase out problematic friends, and cease contact with people that I felt no longer deserved a place in my life.
Fast forward to 2022…
I continued to keep my distance, phase out bad interpersonal relationships and cease communication.
I entered this year with a strong sense of awareness of my personhood, self-identity and personal values. I am aware of the importance of establishing boundaries and being highly selective about who I let into my life and inner circle.
In the present, I don’t have as many people in my inner circle like I used to - but I like that. I am open to making new friends. However, I believe in quality over quantity - I’d rather surround myself with the right people, and I prefer to live in peace and privacy, instead of being surrounded by people who bring drama, chaos, dysfunction and toxicity in my life.
I prioritised focusing on interpersonal relationships that were bringing me joy
In 2022, I made the decision to invest my time, effort and energy into interpersonal relationships that bring me joy, respect, fun and harmony - and that’s the best way. It means that my interpersonal relationships are much happier and peaceful.
I live a blissful life and I love it!
I turned 30!
I am so glad to turn my back on my twenties, which were extremely turbulent and chaotic. I am much more stable and certain of myself, and I’m in a much better place.
I continued therapy
The path to healing and achieving a better life is never-ending for me. Therapy has been absolutely transformative and life-changing, and it’s been a supportive and safe space for me. I am much more confident, I feel inner peace and I have learned to love myself and that’s amazing, because self-love is the greatest gift I could ever give to myself.