GOODBYE TO 2017

Saying Goodbye to 2017 - it was the best of times, it was the worst of times

GOODBYE TO 2017

Happy New Year to everyone and I can't believe 2018 is here already. I'm not sure what happened to 2017 - one minute it was March and the next, we were celebrating Christmas! I thought it was because I was getting old that time was flying, but even younger people commented on how quickly the year had zoomed by.

IT WAS THE BEST OF TIMES

Last year was a bit of a watershed year for me. It had a lot of good times, but there were a few not-so-great moments thrown into the mix. As far as the good times go, we had some great catch-ups with our kids and our lovely little granddaughter - who just keeps growing and getting more delightful by the day.

We both had more than enough work to keep us busy and pay the bills. This is a bit of a novelty for us because there have been many years when work has fluctuated and things have been a lot tighter financially. The bonus of living frugally is that we aren't carrying any debt into Midlife and we don't need to earn as much to pay our way - such a relief.

We managed to fit in a lovely "overseas" break at Rottnest for a week of chilling and out and relaxing. So nice to go somewhere close to home but completely different.

it was the best of times, it was the worst of times - Charles Dickens

IT WAS THE WORST OF TIMES

Work
In amongst all the nice stuff, there have been a few hiccups along the way. My "Perfect Job" brought with it some major drama from one of my work colleagues, and a crisis point where I thought I was going to have to throw in the towel for my sanity's sake. Fortunately my No Complaining Challenge  triggered a bit of an epiphany for me and gave me a solution to my problem.

I've managed to keep my job by reducing my hours in the office from three days a week to two days a week from now on. I may pick up a bit of work from home to keep me busy, but I'm limiting my face to face contact time at work to a more manageable level. This solution has lifted my spirits immeasurably and I'm looking forward to the year ahead.

Relationships
The other fallout for 2017 was me managing to upset a close family member with one of my blog posts. This caused a distancing and consequently, real heartache. It's been a valuable lesson in realizing that you never know what another person is thinking and how they will interpret a situation. On the other hand I've also learned that it's not all on me - we choose our reactions and our attitudes and we also choose whether we are going to be offended by something or not.

After several months the rift has been healed (mostly) but with new insights and a change to our boundaries - maybe a good thing, maybe not - but it is what it is. Life can be messy at times but if we truly care for each other, we find a way to middle ground again. It has also reminded me that I still have a lot to learn about not tying my happiness into external relationships and situations - I need to get better at finding happiness within myself so I can weather the storms that come my way.

HASTA LA VISTA 2017

So, I'm bidding goodbye to 2017 and looking forward to what 2018 is going to bring. Ross Geller sums up my goodbye to 2017 with this gesture I hadn't seen for years - it made me smile :)



I've chosen my word for the year - that's my next post - and it stems from coming to terms with the good and the bad in life and moving forward. Life is constantly evolving and I'm happy to see where I'm heading next.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Do you look back on 2017 with regret or joy - or a bit of both? Are you embracing all that 2018 will hold or is it a bit daunting? And, like me, are you learning to be responsible for your own happiness and not tying it to other people and situations?

Saying Goodbye to 2017 - it was the best of times, it was the worst of times

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34 comments

  1. Great post! Today I deactivated my FB page for the entire month of January 2018 to focus on reading, writing, and photography. I'm trying to be more mindful and read the posts that come up on my roll. Your blog is one I found during the AtoZ last year.

    Do you look back on 2017 with regret or joy - or a bit of both? I mostly look back on 2017 with joy. I have one regret but it is too late to make it right. The only thing I can do is go forward and try to be as forthright and honest with people as I can be without doing harm. I'm in the same boat with you.

    Are you embracing all that 2018 will hold or is it a bit daunting? I totally embrace whatever changes come my way. That, to me, is what makes life worth living!

    And, like me, are you learning to be responsible for your own happiness and not tying it to other people and situations? Oh, this is so easy to say and so hard to do but I work at it every day. I think slowing down and really thinking about situations and how I want to handle them is so important to the outcome.

    Thank you for your thoughtful post. I look forward to reading your thoughts in 2018! Raising my coffee cup in a toast to us! Susan
    www.freezerburned-suddenlysusan.blogspot.com

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    1. Hi Susan - thank you so much for your thoughtful comment. You sound like you are on pretty much the same journey as I am - although I'm not brave enough to turn off FB for a month! I also know what you mean about not being able to change something you regret - you can only move forward with hope for better things. I'm looking forward to sharing 2018 with you and growing our connection. x

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  2. Happy New Year Leanne! I'm glad you sorted out that work situation by finding a solution where you're much happier. My 2017 was a bit of good (some trips away) and a lot of bad towards the end of the year (dad in hospital for nearly 6 weeks and then losing him). I do really like the feeling of a fresh new year. I hope it's a great one for both of us! xo

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    1. I couldn't agree more Min - there is always good and bad in every year - last year just seemed to emphasize that more to me than normal! I'm aiming for a better balance in 2018 and to learn from what 2017 taught me. x

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  3. I am saying goodbye to 2017 with joy and excitement for what 2018 will bring... for the first time in a long time, it feels like a good year.

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    1. I'm planning on 2018 being a great year too Cate - I'm over heartache and drama - a calm, gentle year would be lovely.

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  4. I wish you well for a much calmer year Leanne, I know it's not much fun with hard work situations and then the family issues. Your post was a great honest recap of your year and I'm looking forward to working with you in the coming months. I've also chosen my word for the year and will be announcing it any day. Take care and look after yourself!

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    1. Hi Deb - thanks for your support - you definitely know what work drama does to a person! I'm sharing my word for 2018 in a couple of days and look forward to seeing what yours is - happy new year!

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  5. Yes it was an honest post, one I enjoyed reading. We all have to own up to our own reactions. I am nearly at the stage lately to say I don't give a F*UCK with overly sensitive people!! with a smile of course :-) Here's too an awesome 2018

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    1. Thanks Suzanne - I know what you mean - it's so tiring always trying to please everyone and failing because it's impossible. I'm really hoping 2018 is a time of renewal for me and a great one for you x

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  6. I think years do rush by faster and faster as we get older. Which is a good thing to remember during "hiccups" , next month they will be gone and next month will come pretty darn fast.

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    1. That's actually a good way to look at things Beth - the idea of time moving fast becomes a positive if it means we can put the negative stuff behind us and move forward.

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  7. I'm so glad to see it end. Losing my precious pup was the worst.
    Carol Cassara

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    1. I know what you mean and I'm so sorry about your little dog. May 2018 bring us both some joy Carol x

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  8. Leanne, call me shallow, but I'm not looking back over 2017, especially the negative stuff. I decided a while back to let go of the past and just keep moving ahead. I don't make NY resolutions, but I also decided a while back to embrace change - it's inevitable, so no use resisting it, don't want to merely accept it, trying to embrace it! As always, love your post.

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    1. You're so right Jean (and not shallow at all) I think putting what's past in the past and leaving it there is pretty good advice and I will be taking it to heart. I am so sick of going over it and trying to re-invent the stuff that has happened - better to let it be bygones and move on :)

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  9. Congratulations on finding a solution to your work issue! It can be so draining to work with someone who needs to be tip toed around so as not to cause drama. I hope you enjoy working two days a week!
    How did you like Rotto? I lived in Perth for a little while (not long at all) and wanted to get to Rottnest Island but the cost was always a bit prohibitive.
    Have a fantastic 2018! #LifeThisWeek

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    1. We loved Rottnest - I think you need to go over and stay for a few days for it to be a relaxing experience, but there seemed to be a LOT of day trippers who didn't mind paying the ferry fare for a day at the beach.

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  10. Thank you for this heartfelt post, Leanne. I am on vacation and not checking many blogs right now, but when you mentioned your topic in a comment on my blog, I was intrigued and had to stop by. It sounds like 2017 was a year of growth for you. Growth is always exhilarating and usually painful. I hope that 2018 is mostly exhilarating. :-) As for me, I look back on 2017 with a lot of joy and not regret exactly, but some shuddering at what our family has survived. I too have learned the hard lesson that you cannot base your happiness or peace of mind on any other person or possession. I believe I've become a Buddhist at heart, if not in full practice. "Praise and blame, gain and loss, pleasure and sorrow come and go like the wind. To be happy, rest like a giant tree in the midst of them all." ~Buddha

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    1. Maybe we all become a little Zen in Midlife Christie - when you've been knocked down enough times you learn to sway with the wind a bit! I think 2017 definitely taught me some lessons about myself and I hope I can use them in 2018 so it wasn't all for nothing!

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  11. Hi, Leanne -

    I love your honest reflection (it's what makes me a regular follower of your posts). When reviewing 2017 from a personal level, I am very grateful. If 2018 can continue on the same way I will consider myself very, very blessed!

    Wishing you a great year ahead!

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    1. You had a great 2018 Donna and that family Christmas you shared looked wonderful. I'm hoping my life will get a little more balanced in the year ahead with a lot less stress and heartache :)

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  12. I do not know how I missed the post about the perfect job but just read it. Oh I know how much a co-worker or boss can make or break work life fulfillment so hope that the 2 days a week does the trick. It is tough. In fact both my husband and I have even given away volunteering because of the in-politics that we are not prepared to wear as retired education professionals. Some people think that because of their assigned roles they have the 'power' but in fact that has to be earned via respect. I do hope that now 2017 is past that there is more that is hope-filled and satisfying to look ahead to... (poor grammar!) Thank you for linking up for #lifethisweek 1/52 and next week's optional prompt is Word or Intention for 2018.

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    1. I know you have had some dreadful stuff with your work before you retired Denyse, and I don't want to jump because of one person and their issues. I want to hold on and figure a way through it, but I have no intention of being drowned by it again like I was last year. You're right aout undeserved power and the abuse of respect too - and I've learned a lot in the last couple of years in regard to those things. Hopefully 2018 will be so much better!

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  13. 2017 was an adventure - in more ways than one. It's sad that you've upset someone with one of your posts - sadly it's way too easy to do...I've done it myself and agonise over what to include these days...something which I think makes me less authentic. Bring on 2018. I'm yet to choose my word, but have it down to 4...

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    1. I'm sorry you fell in the same hole Jo, but like you, I started being more careful about how I worded things and second guessing myself. In the end I've decided that I just have to write what's in my heart and be honest and authentic while still trying to keep the peace - it's a fine line to walk at times!

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  14. Happy New Year Leanne and wishing you all the best for 2018. I am looking at this year to make some changes. It is scary but I think the time is right. Oh if we all had the gift of hind sight it would make life easier but we don't so I am jumping into the void of change with hope!

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  15. I'm glad you found a way to decrease stress at work. Sorry about the life lesson pertaining to blogging. I'm glad that you had a line of communication for working through it. Here's to an outstanding 2018.

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  16. I have upset a few family members from time to time with my Alz website and it used to worry me so much, but 4 years later and very little help I rarely care what anyone else thinks about it. I try to steer clear of any drama, but sometimes it's a tightrope and well I'm a klutz lol! Happy New Year Leanne!

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  17. That's a great goodbye post Leanne. I 100% agree with your sentence: "we choose our reactions and our attitudes and we also choose whether we are going to be offended by something or not." I've been thinking of this a lot in the last couple of months as I tiptoe around some people and have made the decision to (a) distance myself from the need to tiptoe by choosing to be with "lighter" people and (b) recognising that sometimes you just can't say the right thing to the wrong people. They are in control of their response and ultimately they choose whether to feel offended or not.

    Happy 2018!

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  18. Hi Leanne, I think most of us have good and bad in our lives and I know of your heartache with a close relationship because you actually dared to write how you felt. I hope the job sorts itself out but maybe the universe is sending you a message there. Sending my love and best wishes for a wonderful 2018 and looking forward to our new link party partnership!

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  19. P.S. Thanks for linking and sharing at #BloggersPitStop this week and enjoy your weekend. xx

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  20. Life isn't perfect, things happen. Sure hoping your 2018 is smoother, however all of these "things that happen" are lessons we learn as we go thru this journey called life. Thank you Leanne for linking up at the #BloggingGrandmothersLinkParty 23. I shared your post on Fb, G+, Pin, and Tw.

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Thanks so much for your comment - it's where the connection begins.