Farewell 2022

As 2022 draws to a close, I reflect on the year that was. I have posted on my business pages already and now I begin to think about how the year went for “me”. The personal events back in 2018 had me thinking that no year could be worse, and thankfully no year has measured up in terms of trauma. Having said that, the past few years have not been easy. As we entered 2022, I was positive that it would be a great year, but it certainly threw some challenges, lots to do with business and staff shortages, but these all made for a bit of an anxious year. 

It was not all bad though, and I permit myself to brag a little, because we should always celebrate our wins, and because I have friends who feel nervous about self-promotion. This is a discussion I often have with other businesswomen. I have been in business for 18 years now and I want to set an example and give you all permission to always celebrate your wins. So, I share a photo to celebrate the two awards I won this year, neither of which I entered, and I had absolutely no idea that I had been nominated. In August I won a Local Hero Award for my contribution to regional tourism, then in November I was awarded the Dean Goddard State Award for Contribution to Tourism by an Individual in NSW. I am so proud of these achievements. 

I am also proud to have become a Great Aunt for the second time to beautiful baby Cali. I am happy that I got to celebrate my nephew Izzy’s 18th birthday with family in August and we had a little party for my Great Nephew Harlyn’s 2nd birthday in February.  I am grateful for friends and family and for a loving partner.

I will miss my “Other Dad” Alan Catt who we lost in November, he was such a wonderful man who has always supported me and my dreams. His family especially “Other Mum” are in my thoughts, along with my friends who are battling illness and those who have lost a loved one.

I don’t do resolutions these days, but I do like to look back at what I have learnt during the year. I have acknowledged that grief never leaves us, I think of my brother every day, and whilst I am celebrating my wins, I am also accepting my grief and thinking of the memories we shared. I am learning to block out all the toxic positivity and to be vulnerable if that’s what I need to be. I am learning to manifest my future. 

I feel like as a society, we are grateful for the end of every year, every week and every month just so that we can start all over. New beginnings so we can lose weight, travel more, work less. This can be done, but perhaps we are wanting too much and setting ourselves up for failure? Next year I am going to continue to reset but take small bites and not overwhelm myself with “things to achieve”. If I f….ck up, then I will just get back on that horse and try again. I won’t wait for Monday, for the beginning of the month or for 2024 to get on track. If I miss Monday, I will start Tuesday. And remember, we can’t succeed if we have never failed. 

I hope that 2023 brings you all that makes you happy, I hope the resilience we have gained helps us to accept that this is not a perfect world. I hope that we learn to care for our planet, love each other, grieve freely and accept that our happiness is not dependent on others, only we can create the life we want. Use your voice, it is your power. Ruffle some feathers. You have one life, make it matter. 

Happy 2023 and big love to all xx