Hello December
Happy December! We have finally arrived to the final month of 2024- and no matter what this stirs up inside you, this short blog is meant for you.
I believe health and wellness is more than just physical- it’s also our inner world and how we navigate it. That being said, I just wanted to share some thoughts I’ve had recently about the anxiety that can arise as the year begins to come to a close.
For myself, as I wrote the words “final month of 2024” I felt a bit of anxiety rise up inside of me. I am settling into the acceptance that the past 12 months have not looked at all how I expected, and how they have not been easy to say the least. While I have had bits of celebration and adventure sprinkled throughout, the staying theme of this year has been simplicity and settling in to the slowness of life here. I’m sure we all can relate to this, however as I’ve been living back in TN I find those words hold a bit more depth than that may meet the eye.
Maybe this year has held the best memories and biggest milestones of your life, or maybe you’ve found yourself in grief and heartbreak. Maybe you’ve wondered how life could be so sweet, or maybe you are finding yourself wondering when good things will come your way again. No matter how the majority of your year went, I hope you are able to take this time in December to reflect on the growth that happened within you without judgment or being too harsh on yourself.
I’ve learned that as we go through life we have to learn how to hold the bitter and the sweet simultaneously- that no year is all “good” or “bad”. Two things can be true at once. You can be authentic in celebrating others while also struggling to believe those things are coming your way as well. This is life- navigating the highs and lows, growing in the midst of it all, believing joy and hope still exist in the hardest seasons.
As you begin to see and hear people reflect on their accomplishments or milestones in this year- may you not disregard the ones in your own life. Sometimes the small daily choice to show up and find hope once again is the biggest yet most unrecognized milestone we can have. The inner work no one but you can see or recognize is just as key an accomplishment as the ones that society praises or recognizes.
May any anxieties rising within you from the end of another year begin to flow into appreciation for how far you’ve come, and the small steps you’ve taken every day to take care of your inner world and show up once again, looking for hope to guide you on.
You are in the midst of your own beautiful story- don’t ever forget it- and know that God is for you.
Whatever 2024 has held, and whatever is to come, your story is worth believing in, and there is so much life ahead of you to run towards in hope.
until next time,
elizabeth
