I ended 2016 with a mental breakdown. I had run myself ragged in the preceding months and years. I can blame all sorts of extenuating circumstances, but the truth of the matter is that I did it to myself. I didn't take very good care of myself, and I cracked.
2017 then began with a prayer for healing that I prayed every day. Without my family and friends to help me, I'm not sure I would have made it through to the other side. We're only so strong on our own.
The break dredged up a lot of old ghosts, as well as putting me face to face with new demons. And I needed to learn new ways of dealing with all of it. But like I said - I came out on the other side. I healed. I accepted that healing.
It's become a fashionable social media tradition to hate on the previous year. I know that I am guilty of this in years past. No more. I have so much to be thankful for, including every struggle. And this year was particularly special - my new baby sister was born this year.
Every year, instead of resolutions, I pick a word, a theme, to guide my thinking and my actions. It's a tradition I learned from my mother. For 2017, my word was "healing" - to be healed and to heal others. For 2018, my word is "service" - to use my gifts and talents to serve others.
Thank you for reading, and Happy New Year,
- Josh
Image Credit: GIPHY / bitchcraft