THE 3 LESSONS I LEARNED IN 2016: A YEAR IN REVIEW

I haven’t posted anything in a month since I got back from LA, and that’s because I’ve been focusing on getting myself back on track with my work life. The ironic thing is that at this point in time last year, I was almost stuck in the same position - feeling hopeless and drowned in rejection. However, I knew that I would eventually come out of the abyss by the time 2017 would arrive. All I had to do was to stay positive and focused on my goal.

Looking back on how I entered 2016, I was at a low-key bar with my best friend in Lower Manhattan, sheepishly counting down the final seconds of 2015. My New Year’s post on that is on my old blog, titled “2015 (cont…).” The reason why I titled it as a continuation was because I wanted to continue to focus on working towards a better version of myself. I felt proud of my personal accomplishments up to that moment, remembering the major ups and downs I faced - graduating college, getting out of a messed up relationship and finally beginning to find my place in the workforce. Knowing all this, I was prepared to face all the challenges that would come to me in 2016.

I started my first full time job as a marketer in February, having no clue as to how all these health and commuter benefits operated. It was a challenge for me in the beginning, but I knew what I wanted - a full time job and to be making my own money.

Literally coming out of college with just a dollar and a dream, I was introduced to the marketing field through this job, which ended up changing my career goals and passions. It took some time for me to find balance between work and life. Over the summer, I spontaneously shared an Uber ride with a life coach who shed some light to me on that subject. I've been so blessed to meet people who've kept me inspired throughout the year. I met a guy around the time I started working at my new job who allowed me to see the world in a different perspective - a world through the eyes of an aspiring actor coping with an addiction and bipolar disorder. Eventually after I came back from my trip to Vegas, my travel bug had me leave behind the things that were holding me back. I felt a transition in my life balance, having certain parts begin to settle while learning to pick up my feet on other ends. Although I was still unstable with some of the choices I was making, I eventually became more in control of overcoming my fears. This was the time when I posted about the 8 fears I was learning to overcome.

I traveled to the west coast three times this year - Vegas, Alaska/Seattle/B.C. and LA. The best time to travel and explore is while you're still young and financially stable on your own. I experienced my first big music festival in Vegas with two of my college girlfriends. It was a spontaneous decision for us to buy those tickets, but one of the best. Not being aware at that time, I was letting the moments seize me as I allowed my wanderlust to take me to places and areas of myself that I was too afraid to encounter. During my time at Alaska, I couldn’t fathom how so much beauty and structure could exist in such a place on earth. That’s when I grew a huge curiosity of all the wonders of the world - but first, I wanted to visit all the big cities in the states. So a month later, I felt inspired to book my next adventure to LA with two of my other college girlfriends.

Three important things that my LA trip taught me was change, dignity, and determination. There is something I haven’t told everyone about yet because I wanted to avoid pity from others as much as possible. I didn’t want others feeling sorry for me when I wasn’t even feeling sorry for myself! My current job at that time laid me off while I was on my way down to San Diego. My manager had me dial into a conference call with my boss and the CEO that Friday afternoon. Leading up to the next few minutes prior to the call, I was expressing my anxiety to my girlfriends and parents. They were telling me that whatever it was, it should be good news because who would deliver bad news to an employee while they are on vacation, right? Wrong. As I was on the call, I had no words to say back in response, except for “I understand.” That’s when I learned about dignity - I found no point in lashing out on the phone no matter how unprofessional it was the fact that I was getting laid off while on vacation. I knew my worth and potential, and instantly felt determined to fly back home and start applying to new jobs. I don’t need to make others feel sorry for the loss they decide to make. In moments time, they would realize on their own how much they missed out on when they see the success I’ll carry.

This is when I learned about change. I had to go back into the office the following Monday when I came back to NY, to clear my things. Trying really hard to hold back my tears, I had a few closing conversations with some of my old coworkers. I realized that it’s not just about the professional experience that I gained from the eleven months of working there, but the relationships I developed with my fellow colleagues. I still have so much respect for all of them up to this day, and I learned that getting used to change is all part of being an adult. Rather than moping around about my loss, I saw it as a message from God/the Universe (whatever people believe in nowadays) that maybe I am ready to move onto the next chapter in my life. All I needed was this little push and I felt excited to see where my potential would take me. Literally as I was applying to jobs, I felt the power of being able to just take my finger and point it to anywhere on the map. Working at this small company of just 30 people, I always wondered how it was like being a part of something bigger. I saw this change as a blessing in disguise, leading me to safely say that I will be starting my new job this coming January in 2017!

Overall, 2016 has been the year of the my closing chapter. It has been the year of many trial and errors, mistakes, lessons and inspiration. I learned how to do so many things on my own to the point where I became so used to it. Everything in my life this year was just a rollercoaster in terms of dating and work life, which led me to getting my most recent tattoo of the Ace of Spades. Like the value of the card in various card games, there will be times when I’m at the highest point in my life and there will be times when I’m at the lowest point in my life. I’m excited to start the new year with a new chapter - a new job and most of all, a new relationship with a guy I rekindled with just recently. Like the post I wrote titled “The Strange Thing We Call Faith,” I truly believe that everything in life happens for a reason. No matter what we each believe in, I feel that our life has a purpose and there is an entity making sure that we follow our destined path.

So I’m signing off on 2016 and beginning my countdown today. I don’t wish for for the new year to be good to me because I know it will. All I am is ready for the challenges, blessings and new beginnings that 2017 will bring.