2017 couldn't be more bipolar. It started off with the same general funk I felt in 2016. A lot of days where I became cagey, tired, and unmotivated. I lost a substantial amount of my self esteem, to the point where I expected the worst out of everything and everyone. I no longer saw successes in my life, just failures.
The entirety of the year didn't stay that way though. For better or for worse, I was made to face some hard truths about myself, and I had to be humbled. I had to learn and move on. I also had to move out of Utah, away from stressful work, people, and traffic. Spring, summer, and fall became a whirlwind that whisked me and my stuff across country to Georgia. I took a new job there, where the work place is bigger and the team is bigger. A lot of familiar faces wound up reappearing in my life, and they've been most hospitable. A lot of the troubles I felt in Utah gradually vanished as I slowly found a new abode and started to settle.
I managed to see a few last sights in Utah before moving. First, I finally got around to seeing the local rodeo near my house. It was a far more interesting experience than I initially thought it would be. Later, I visited Vernal, home to the Dinosaur National Park where you can see real dinosaur bones and excavations. Visiting my folks in Colorado, I also saw a few interesting sights and museums. Once I moved east, I swung by Graceland to see the home and exhibits concerning Elvis Presley--I came out of that place with a far greater appreciation for the man. I haven't even seen many sights in Georgia, but just being in the deep south has been a warm and cozy feeling. This might be the first winter I've seen in years where there's no snow--I'm actually grateful for it. It's been a busy year, but I managed to see new things.
Like always there's bad news to be read day in and day out. I've come to realize we live in a strange era where it's becoming harder and harder to know what's true. Everything has a bias, political or otherwise. As someone who prefers unbiased facts, it becomes tiresome to read news and Internet feeds that merely regurgitate old information, or sometimes outright myths. It also doesn't help that modern technology blasts information at us constantly and shapes the way we think and behave. It's subtle, but it's troubling all the same. To top it off, all these stories and articles I see seem dedicated to one goal: to spread fear and shame.
Last year(s), I commented on the news and celebrity deaths, and concluded that the world is troubled. This year, I seem to have ignored the media a little more, and I feel a little freer for it. I decided that my biggest New Year's resolution is to stop feeling fear and shame, whether it stems from social media, people I know, or anywhere else.
Every passing minute is a step deeper into unknown territory. There's always new opportunities to accomplish more and improve oneself. Being in a new environment, I plan to continue improving myself in all the same ways I've promised myself before (losing weight, more discipline, better attitude, better knowledge, being more active). I hope that everyone reading this will also have a wonderful new year and success in accomplishing your goals.
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