We Did it Friends, 2023 Recap is Here.

As we bid farewell to 2023 (Am I really writing this now?), I can’t believe it’s time to officially recap on a year that has been filled with both many challenges, tears and triumphs. This journey has been a rollercoster of emotions to say the least, marked by the biggest profund lesson of resilience.

Facing the heart-wrenching news of telling my dad about his recent diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma, a rare cancer in the bile ducts to facing my first panic attack ending up in the ER thinking I was actually having a heart attack and facing ALL the challenges of a major renovation at home in this economy has been a testament to the strength I didn’t even know I have inside of me.

As usual, very Maca style, here are 23 life lessons I learned this year that made me say:

I MADE IT FRIENDS, I survived 2023!

1. Resilience is YOUR superpower: Trust me on this one. You will develop the ability to bounce back from the most challenging moments you have in life and transform them into opportunities for growth.

2. Mental Health REALLY matters: Always prioritize it. this is not a luxury, but your number one task, just like a I did.

3. Family is everything: The love and support I received from my family during the darkest times, kept me moving forward.

4. Celebrate small wins: Literally what I did during my dad’s hospital days. Every single positive news always helped us a smoother journey.

5. One second at a time: I lived my day to day focusing on the moment. Not even thinking on the next hour, day or even week

6. Your vulnerability is courage: I opened up SO many times about what was happening, showing you could have the courage to face impossible things, just like I did.

7. Adapt to anything: I learned this year nothing goes as planned & my life stopped, my business plan, everything – and you know what? What a life lesson, wow.

8. Cherish, everything: even the hard moments. Now I remember them as a fragile step I needed to live to make me stronger.

9. Find joy, anywhere: in that hot coffee, a smile from a stranger, a hug from a friend, an unexpected text, an I love you, a flower that bloomed. Find joy – they keep the spirit up.

10. Letting go: Of things you CANNOT control. This was liberating.

11. Empathy heals the heart: truly. What a bless to have seen so much this year offering and receiving empathy, healing my heart when I needed it the most.

12. Be Kind: This has been my life motto for the longest time, and 2023 showed me acts of kindness have a true ripple effect on our well-being.

13. Growth even if it hurts: personal growth happens when we go through tough life moments, and hey, I learned to say NO in 2023 without any regrets.

14. Patience is the key: You have no idea how many times I heard the word patience, but truly, it was the best virtue this year.

15. Gratitude, forever: I can’t even count how many times I was grateful for even the challenges (Yes, the ugly, the bad) that showed me that even setbacks were stepping lessons for me.

16. Boundaries: yep, say no and don’t be scared of it.

17. Trust your inner voice: if something feels off, it truly is – big one in 2023 for me.

18. The power of positivity: ALWAYS kept a positive mindset (never denied it was going to be a hard ride) but I faced this year with hope.

19. Ask for help: without any regrets. Call that friend. Book your therapy session. Take that massage. Find time for yourself, especially during times when you need to be well to take care of others.

20. Eventually, things calm down: Many people told me this, and it’s so true and part of life, the ups and downs and the profound realization that this journey eventually passes and calms down.

21. Forgive: Yourself for your mistakes, others for theirs, and learn to be better, smarter, wiser.

22. Surround yourself with positivity: I chose people who did the same I did for them: uplift and inspire. Positive energy is contagious and the only one I want to embrace in the new year.

23. Foster a sense of purpose in the new year: After this unexpected, wild, sad, happy, all-the-feels year, I found a sense of purpose, living each day intentionally.