Four Years Later...
Where do I begin? First of all, I cannot believe that it's been four years since my last post. I gave up my passion whilst in pursuit of my degree and I completely forgot how much joy writing brought me. Don't get me wrong, I've written some wonderful pieces thanks to the creative writing workshops I took in college, some of which I may post eventually, but this blog was my baby and something I looked forward to doing once a month. The past four years have been chaotic to say the least. I changed jobs and transferred schools in 2014 (not by choice) but both turned out to be the right decisions for me. It seems that life is constantly challenging me to get out of my comfort zone because right when I settle in and find a routine, I'm shaken up and sent on a different path. I guess I need this because I'm a creature of habit; for example, I once went on a diet and ate spinach and mushrooms with chicken or fish every day for a month. Well, one day while casually sitting at my desk at work, my body decided "nope, I don't want this anymore" (thank God there was a trash can nearby). Despite the challenges, I've had some amazing experiences as well; I've made new friends and travelled to so many places, some of which I plan to do special blogs on (like Greece and Belgium). The last post I wrote to you was right before my 30th birthday and now, I'll tell you the biggest changes I've noticed since I'm 4 years into my 30's. Yes, the metabolism slows, and yes, hangovers take a lot longer to recover from, but, there are positives. You notice yourself change in ways you never thought possible and you undergo a complete mental shift. You see yourself approaching situations objectively instead of emotionally and you think "who IS the person occupying my body right now?!" You also begin to remember little things older people said to you in your 20's and you think "damn, they were right!"
If you look at my older posts you'll see I once wrote a piece on forgiveness and how it's the most difficult thing for me to do. I tended to hold a grudge for a very long time. It's amazing how the things you struggle with the most tend to keep coming up so you can learn to overcome it. In 2012 someone close to me disappointed me in a way I never thought possible. I looked up to him a lot and he was a confidant, so his actions shook me to the core. I went 4 years without speaking to him, but last year I saw him and this little voice in my head said "it's time". I knew it was time to move past what he had done, and I can honestly say I am happy to have him back in my life. Since then, I've been faced with even more situations that have required forgiveness, and I've been amazed at how easily this comes now. Forgiveness doesn't always mean you need to let the person back into your personal space. It's about making peace with what they have done and understanding that their actions have absolutely nothing to do with you, and everything to do with them and their "stuff". It's the ability to know that their actions do not change who you are, and the ability to wish them well on their journey through life if need be. It's also recognizing that by not forgiving, you only hurt yourself, nobody else. If a person wrongs you, their life continues despite whatever bitterness you spew their way. That negative energy only consumes you and affects your life. So, finally, after 32 years, I finally understood what forgiveness was all about when I chose to forgive last year. In some ways, the timing could not have been better because there would be much bigger things that required forgiveness in the months that followed...but another story for another time. For now, I'm happy to be back and totally missed you all. Stay tuned for blogs on my travel adventures.
xoxo
Punky
If you look at my older posts you'll see I once wrote a piece on forgiveness and how it's the most difficult thing for me to do. I tended to hold a grudge for a very long time. It's amazing how the things you struggle with the most tend to keep coming up so you can learn to overcome it. In 2012 someone close to me disappointed me in a way I never thought possible. I looked up to him a lot and he was a confidant, so his actions shook me to the core. I went 4 years without speaking to him, but last year I saw him and this little voice in my head said "it's time". I knew it was time to move past what he had done, and I can honestly say I am happy to have him back in my life. Since then, I've been faced with even more situations that have required forgiveness, and I've been amazed at how easily this comes now. Forgiveness doesn't always mean you need to let the person back into your personal space. It's about making peace with what they have done and understanding that their actions have absolutely nothing to do with you, and everything to do with them and their "stuff". It's the ability to know that their actions do not change who you are, and the ability to wish them well on their journey through life if need be. It's also recognizing that by not forgiving, you only hurt yourself, nobody else. If a person wrongs you, their life continues despite whatever bitterness you spew their way. That negative energy only consumes you and affects your life. So, finally, after 32 years, I finally understood what forgiveness was all about when I chose to forgive last year. In some ways, the timing could not have been better because there would be much bigger things that required forgiveness in the months that followed...but another story for another time. For now, I'm happy to be back and totally missed you all. Stay tuned for blogs on my travel adventures.
xoxo
Punky
