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2023: A Reflection
The gains, the losses, and 12 lessons in between
It’s almost the end of another year, again. Continuing my annual tradition of yearly reflection, this year, I dedicate this writing to commemorate all the twists and turns that 2023 has unfolded, along with the invaluable lessons that I discovered along the way. Last year I closed the chapter feeling battered and exhausted, and so I embarked this year feeling scared and uncertain about how things will turn out to be. Yet 2023 went by so quickly — too quickly, perhaps, and here we are.
If I could summarise 2023 in one single word, for me this is the year of Acceptance. I have spent last year denying and trying to change things on my own, but this year, I made a conscious decision to embrace acceptance. I accepted the fact that a lot of areas in my life remain to be imperfect: some are broken, some are empty, some are lost. I accepted the fact that some resolutions and aspirations from the previous year remain unfinished, some are even untouched. I have come to terms that my life in the Netherlands would never be the same like home. I accepted the fact that I have taken a long pause from a lot of things, even writing. In essence, acceptance has helped me to comprehend life beyond the bubble of pain or problems and focus more on the things I can control.
