12 lessons learned from 2022

I had the idea for this a few weeks ago and started writing it on Monday 19th December. I'd just got back from a 'Spiritual Workshop' (feels the most LinkedIn-appropriate way of describing what I did ??) and wrote this article.

To put it lightly, I was full of love and bewilderment for the world and uhm... this shone through quite a lot (a bit too much) in my writing. I've saved that draft for personal reading.

This is my slightly watered-down, tad-more-grounded attempt at:

12 lessons learned from 2022

My 12 Things:

January - Winter is hard.

Way back when in January 2022, I was struggling professionally and my internal compass was severely off-centre.

I learned the hard way how important it is to look after your body and mind during winter. It's a lot easier to channel happy-go-lucky positivity in the lighter spring/summer months, but you can't neglect yourself just because it's cold and raining. I did.?

A bit of patience was all I needed! A seed has the potential to blossom at any time and that is exactly what happened as we entered February. I just didn't know it yet.

February - Having the difficult conversations

Indeed! That seed of opportunity blossomed into a forest. I was in the middle of an interview process for the job that would eventually lead me to Portugal but still hadn't been given feedback on my last round.?

I was caught in a strange limbo knowing that I was on the cusp of something, but hadn't yet had it confirmed.?

Then one day... I got the call.?All I needed to do was hand in my notice.

I remember panicking about having the conversation with my former manager for about 2 weeks. Loyalty is an curious thing and I found myself wavering.

My manager was a kind, intelligent, inspiring professional who worked incredibly hard to train me to become the best salesman he possibly could. I learned so much and frankly, it's taken me all this time to see just how formative my time at my last job was.

This was one of the hardest conversations I've ever had - and if he reads this, I thank him for the gracious way he handled my exit.

A true example for me for when I manage someone in the future.

March - Languages are really hard!

On March 10 I flew to Portugal. On March 10, I learned (again) that languages are hard.

Arriving in my beloved Porto after so long apart from my city, I was taken aback and stunned into silence. A linguistic brain entropies incredibly quickly when not used... and mine had shrivelled up like a raisin. I can only pat my March self on the shoulder now and tell him it got better quickly.

Now, more or less... I can speak Portuguese.

April - The Great Power of Return

I encountered the Great Power of Return in October/November 2021 when I returned to Bristol for the first time after I'd left in spring 2020. Distance had healed some of my traumas and I saw Brizzle-pop with a new gaze. Happier, lighter and friendlier.

Returning to Porto, the astonishing effects of the Great Power of Return were confirmed. People and places are intrinsically linked. You can't separate a soul from its surroundings and therefore it makes perfect sense that your mood, emotional balance and relationship with the Self will be outwardly projected.

I first lived in Porto in 2019. I was much younger, losing some key personal battles and I wasn't able to see the abundance of my city.

April was a beautiful month for me. Homesickness and moving pains had worn off, my social life in Portugal was rocketing and I truly saw this welcoming city for the first time.

May - The Joy of Adventure

May didn't necessarily carry the philosophical weight of some of the other months this year... but it was a heck of a laugh!

I went all over the place.

1. The Alentejo with my closest friend
2. A rave in a national park near Lisbon
3. Lisbon (lol)
4. A few other trips I can't quite recall...

The big learning? Travel is fun.

June - Therapy Works

I won't detail this one because it's too personal. But I'll summarise it like this:

In 2021, I started therapy to help with some issues and fears.

In June 2022, I faced these fears.

June was a very important month.

Oh, I also turned 25!

July - Turns out the beach is great!

Not much here either... like in May, life was plain sailing and I was having the time of my life. I was feeling confident, loving work and spending most weekends on the beach.

Growing up in the UK, I had never truly appreciated just how beautiful a hot, hot, hot sunny day could be!

I'd convinced myself previously I was a cold-weather person... that was b*llshit haha. Sun is amazing!

August - No place like home

I spent most of August in the UK.

Not much happened...

They don't lie... there really is no place quite like home!

September - Let life organise itself

My decision to run off to live in the Azores was spontaneous, but also made perfect sense. Let me explain.

At the time, my main reasons for leaving Porto were:

1. I had to leave my flat by the end of September - the landlord was selling the flat.
2. I needed to move city to save a bit of money after a very wonderful, and expensive, summer. My first months away from the UK were a bit of a blur and I needed somewhere quiet to recover my funds (this hasn't quite gone to plan :P)
3. I'd studied the Azores briefly at university and I had always had it earmarked as a place I'd like to visit. When reasons 1 and 2 came up, I thought... why not?
4. I wanted to hasten the pace of my introspective journey. I had begun recalibrating my relationship with nature in Porto and I wanted to have closer contact with green.

I essentially had 2 purely administrative reasons and 2 softer motivations. Life had made the decision for me and it was very easy to commit when I realised that.

October - Exercise, it turns out, is good for you.

I'm as annoyed as anyone would be to learn that exercise, is, despite many tantrums, really good for your mind, body and soul. With a heavy heart, I share that I began CrossFit at the beginning of October and have been consistently doing exercise 2/3 times a week since.

Frustratingly, I feel more energised and I think my performance at work has, unfortunately, improved significantly. I daresay I'll continue being 'active' and 'healthy' into the new year.

Yes, this was written with an ironic tone. No, I'm not sorry.

November - 4 Legged Friends

Without a shadow of a doubt, November was defined by the arrival of a beautiful little dog called Pam.

I'd never had a dog before, and I don't think I ever truly respected the unique love and care that these animals have for humans.

Having this accountability helped me realise a long-term target of waking up earlier in the morning, got me out every morning by 08:00 latest and taught me incredibly important lessons in discipline.

December - Xmas is important for other people

Growing up Jewish in a Xmas obsessed world has been a strange experience. I don't like the festival, I don't warm to the frenzy of consumerism and I don't like this or that or the other.

But that's irrelevant. Spending the days leading up to Xmas in a new environment away from London has helped me realise that for many people, this is a special time of year.

I learned quite an important lesson in empathy and compassion. In other words, I reeled in my Grinchy tendencies.

And that's been my year! I recently flicked through my journal on a bus back from Lisbon and looked at all my scrawlings and drawings from the past 12 months.

I'm incredibly proud of what I've achieved and am feeling nervous and excited for 2023. Let's see what Life has cooked up for me!

Thank you for reading. I appreciate you all and love hearing your feedback on my writing, my big ol' passion.

Happy holidays, Happy New Year and keep on smiling!