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2011: A Love/Hate Letter

Remember how I wrote one to 2010? I thought I should write a quick one to 2011 too.

Except then I realized I don’t have as much to say this year.

Here’s the thing: 2011 was the year I put a lot of feelings aside to get a lot done. And I did. My mom is doing pretty well. I finished my PhD, despite some tough obstacles. I’m writing. I’m job hunting.

2011 was also the year I really learned that a lot of times in life, you’re the one standing in your own way. Quit it. The sooner you stop living your life defined by someone else, living your life defined by your fears, living your life defined by some long-ago definition that you came up with and never learned from enough to make it a useful lesson - the sooner you go out and find some happiness. Seriously, you can’t know how short life is until it punches you right in the face with that brutal fact. No, you might not get the exact happiness you want or the happiness you feel you deserve, but you might get some pretty great happiness just the same. It might even turn out to be better than you imagined it could be. Let go of the horseshit and grab hold of the horse for once, ok?

2011 was the year I realized that you really do have to figure out how to love yourself.

So 2011. You weren’t so bad. Not for me anyway (America’s 2011? That’s another story). Even so, I’m ready for your arbitrarily defined end, and as always I’m grateful.

Now everyone, let’s make this world - and our lives - a little better in 2012. To hell with it: Fear less. Grow a pair. Go get what you want. Me too.

What do you say?