My 2017: Achievements and Failures - Failure is not always what it seems
On the surface, it would seem that this year has been one complete and utter failure. I still haven't finished my album or my book. My health issues are still present and I still don't have any savings. I went through a five month long bout of depression during the summer, something I haven't really been through since I was a kid. I had to close the studio/community space after a few months, and the idea for this studio had been a dream of mine for that past 10 years. Some friends were arrested for carrying a plant that everyone knows is no big deal and another for standing up for what he thought was right. Another friend lost his business.
But as I said, this is only what happened on the surface.
I can honestly say that this has been one of the best years of my life. It's been hard, no doubt. Real hard. Still, the amount of growth I and those close to me have experienced and the new paths which have opened in such a short period of time are nearly mind boggling.
I have discovered what true inner balance feels like, developing an arsenal of methods for maintaining it and helping others do the same. I won't go into this too much because I wrote a whole post on it a few days ago.
I really got about 2/3 into the collection of short stories I've been writing about the lines that separate different realities and the invisible strings that tie us together. I posted 6 of them on Patreon so far and managed to get my first few patrons as well, one of them from steemit!
I found steemit! This was huge for me as I'm sure it was for many of you. I've spent a majority of my life knowing what I was put here on this earth to do but always lost as to how to go about making a living from it. Steemit has helped open my eyes to the new possibilities opening up. Aside from making some money to just now start investing in cryptos, I've made a ton of friends who may very well turn into 3D friends that last for life and I found a following who read my writing when it isn't lost in a sea of other posts :-)
I am even more clear and full of energy so that my music and writing will be more full of love and substance.
Though I had to close it right after opening, having a space of my own showed me that my dreams are sometimes only a few steps away, and it allowed me a kind of practice run so that I'll be able to really do it right next time, whether next time is a cafe/bar, a school, or a community space like this one was.
I learned so much about my own body. Having these back problems forced me to learn good habits and understand eastern medicine and massage. I've become much more aware of my body and what it's trying to tell me.
I've learned to stop being judgmental and to come at any situation with positivity. This was a big challenge for someone who was, up until recently, trying to "fix" what's wrong with the world. I realize now that to change something on the outside, it's best to work on the inside first.
I've become more clear on what I want and what I don't want, what's important to me and what's not.
Above all, I've finally discovered the harmony and balance in life itself. It looks like a total mess, no doubt, but there is a method to the madness. The outside really does reflect the inside and we all reflect each other. We are the divine experiencing itself. This may not ring true for everyone but it has been extremely powerful for me and has given life a meaning behind whatever meaning I chose to give it.
So despite all the failure, this year rocked!
Thank you @anomadsoul for hosting this contest and encouraging me to write these reflections out into words.
If you'd like to join the contest, check it out here
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Sounds like a year of change and activity to me. "Failure" is such a nebulous term we tend to toss at anything that didn't turn out the way we had originally planned... but sometimes those "fails" actually open doors to something better than the original plan. Maybe that sounds a bit patronizing... but on reflection, it very often holds true.
All the best to you, in the year ahead!
Not patronizing at all! Once you step outside of your ego just a little bit, you can see how all things you deem "negative" exist to challenge you to express what you deem positive instead of fighting back at it with more "negative". I'm still practicing on stepping out of the ego, but I'm getting the hang of it. Topic for a future post!