2018 was a Rough Year

I don't know about you however I started 2018 with hope, promise and the intention that this year was going to be better than 2017. Last year was a really hard year, not just for me but for many people. Lots of changes personally, locally and globally occurred. Almost everyone I spoke to agreed that 2017 was rough and that 2018 had to be better.

A new year always brings us a time to hit the reset button and begin again with a new vision and outlook. We tend to look back and think about what we would do differently and focus on the negatives or what we didn’t accomplish instead of giving ourselves credit for all the things where we succeeded. A friend recently called them wins and near-wins. I love the term near-wins. Maybe we didn’t hit the target of the bullseye however we picked up the bow and arrow and gave it our best shot. No matter where our arrow landed, we made our very best effort to either have a win or a near-win.

How’s that for perspective?

As I do every year, I sat down the last week of December 2017 and set my intentions for 2018. I always include every area of life from the Bagua Map in Feng Shui. I’ve studied and practiced Feng Shui since 1987 and it is an integral part of my personal and professional life.

The Bagua Map includes every single area of life to help create a balanced life with positive energy flow.

These areas are:
- Wealth (Prosperity & Gratitude)
- Fame (Reputation & Integrity)
- Relationships (Love & Partnerships)
- Family (Community & Tribe)
- Health (Balance & Heart)
- Creativity/Children (Inspiration)
- Wisdom (Intuition & Self-Improvement)
- Career (Passion, Purpose & Life-Path)
- Helpful People (Spirit Guides, Travel & Synchronicity)

With this in mind, I created a new vision and perspective for 2018. I had no idea what this year would have in store for me and I’ve had to redirect numerous times. Near-win after near-win, I’ve had to constantly remind myself that every experience is an opportunity to learn something; no mistakes, only lessons.

Like some of you, I’ve dealt with health issues, family situations, dissolving a business partnership, a romantic break-up and other curve balls I didn’t foresee or expect. After talking with friends, family and clients, it seems that we’ve all had our ups and downs this year with many downs – I’ll call them near-wins (smile).

After all this, I learned something really valuable: all of us have our own path and direction with choices to make. You’ve heard “it’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey”? As we travel along life’s journey, we come to forks in the road, twists and turns. We choose which direction we will go and, no matter what, it is always the right way. We can’t predict what we need to learn, experience or who we are intended to meet. We must trust that we are right where we are supposed to be at any given time.

© 2019 by Amy Jones - All Rights Reserved