VIOLETTA PESIN BLOG DECEMBER 2019: A TIME TO REFLECT
VIOLETTA PESIN BLOG
DECEMBER 2019
“A TIME TO REFLECT”
FOR THIS MONTH’S BLOG OF DECEMBER 2019, I WILL BE SPEAKING ABOUT THE THEME, A TIME TO REFLECT.
DECEMBER HAS ALWAYS BEEN A TIME FOR ME TO REFLECT ON MY LIFE. IT IS A TIME WHEN I ALLOW LIFE TO SLOW DOWN, AS THE END OF THE YEAR APPROACHES. DECEMBER HAS ALWAYS BEEN SPECIAL FOR ME BECAUSE IT IS MY BIRTH MONTH. I WILL CELEBRATE MY 42ND BIRTHDAY ON DECEMBER 29.
I WILL REFLECT ON SUCH AREAS OF MY LIFE AS:
MY FAMILY, MY SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS, MY ART BUSINESS, MY HEALTH, MY FINANCES AND MY SPIRITUALITY.
I WILL PROVIDE A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THESE AREAS OF MY LIFE IN THIS BLOG. IN MY NEXT BLOG OF JANUARY 2020, I WILL SPEAK IN GREATER DETAIL ABOUT MY ENTIRE YEAR 2019.
MY IMMEDIATE FAMILY CONSISTS OF MY MOTHER, MY FATHER, MY OLDER SISTER AND MY YOUNGER BROTHER. THEY ARE ALL I HAVE. MY PARENTS DIVORCED WHEN I WAS QUITE YOUNG, AROUND EIGHT YEARS OLD. UNFORTUNATELY, I HAVE GROWN ACCUSTOMED TO NOT HAVING MY PARENTS SIT TOGETHER AT A TABLE WITH ME. MY BROTHER AND I SHARE THE SAME MOTHER BUT, MY BROTHER HAS A DIFFERENT FATHER. I AM NOT IN CONTACT WITH MY BROTHER’S FATHER. MY FATHER AND I LIVE IN TORONTO. MY MOTHER AND BROTHER LIVE IN THE CLOSE SURROUNDING AREAS OF TORONTO. MY SISTER LIVES FURTHER AWAY IN WINDSOR. AS A FAMILY, WE DO OUR BEST TO BE TOGETHER EVEN IF WE CAN’T ALL BE TOGETHER AT THE EXACT SAME TIME.
I LOOK TO STRENGTHEN SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS IN MY LIFE. YOU CAN SAY I AM LOOKING TO BUILD MY TRIBE BY ESTABLISHING DEEPER CONNECTIONS WITH PEOPLE IN MY SOCIAL CIRCLE. I LOOK TO ESTABLISH GENUINE CONNECTIONS, NOT MAINTAIN SUPERFICIAL ONES. I UNDERSTAND IT WILL TAKE TIME TO BUILD A STRONG NETWORK, AS I NEVER REALLY FOCUSED ON THIS IN MY LIFE.
I CONTINUED TO MANAGE ALL ASPECTS OF MY ART BUSINESS IN 2019.
I STRUGGLED FINANCIALLY FOR MOST OF 2019 AND I AM COMMITTED TO TAKING ACTION TO IMPROVE THIS AREA OF MY LIFE.
MY HEALTH HAS SUFFERED FROM THE WORKLOAD OF BEING A ONE-PERSON ENTREPRENEURIAL TEAM, MAINTAINING IRREGULAR EMPLOYMENT AND DUE TO FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES I HAVE FACED.
MY SPIRITUALITY GIVES ME STRENGTH. IT REMINDS ME THAT I AM EQUIPPED TO OVERCOME DIFFICULTIES AND EMERGE STRONGER BECAUSE OF THEM. EVEN IN DIFFICULT TIMES, THERE IS SOMETHING TO LEARN; SOME VALUABLE LESSON THAT EXISTS IN THE DIFFICULTY. WITH THAT WISDOM AND STRENGTH GAINED, WE SEE LIFE DIFFERENTLY; DIFFERENTLY THAN WE SAW IT BEFORE. THERE IS ALWAYS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE POSITIVE AND TO SHOW GRATITUDE.
I SHARE A QUOTE WITH YOU THAT I ONCE READ:
“THIS WAS NEVER BETWEEN YOU AND THEM. IT WAS ALWAYS BETWEEN YOU AND GOD.”
END OF QUOTE.
AS I NAVIGATE THROUGH MY LIFE, I ASK MYSELF: AM I THE CAUSE OF MY OWN HAPPINESS OR AM I THE CAUSE OF MY OWN CHAOS? I AM COMMITTED TO A LIFE WHERE I AM THE CAUSE OF MY OWN HAPPINESS. I KNOW THE COMMITMENT IS A JOURNEY, NOT A DESTINATION. I ALSO KNOW THAT I DO NOT NEED TO PRETEND THAT I AM IN CONTROL OF EVERYTHING, AS GOD DETERMINES DIVINE TIMING.
THE MOST VALUABLE INSIGHT I GAINED IN 2019, CAME FROM A YOUTUBE VIDEO I JUST RECENTLY LISTENED TO WITHIN THE PAST WEEK, INTERESTING ENOUGH. IN THIS VIDEO, AUTHOR ELIZABETH GILBERT DIFFERENTIATES BETWEEN HOBBIES, JOBS, CAREERS, & VOCATION. I REALIZED I CAN PURSUE MY VOCATION IN THE ARTS. NOBODY CAN TAKE THAT AWAY FROM ME. THIS IS WHO I AM. THIS IS WHERE I AM MEANT TO BE. THIS FEELS RIGHT FOR ME.
TITLE: “ELIZABETH GILBERT ON DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN HOBBIES, JOBS, CAREERS, & VOCATION”
QUOTE FROM YOUTUBE VIDEO (5:12):
“THE HOLIEST, MOST SACRED, MOST AMAZING AND MYSTICAL PURSUIT OF ALL: VOCATION. A VOCATION IS A CALLING. A VOCATION IS A DIVINE INVITATION. A VOCATION IS THE VOICE OF THE UNIVERSE IN YOUR EAR SAYING I WANT YOU TO DO THIS THING. I WANT TO USE YOUR TALENTS AND GIFTS TO MAKE THIS THING. I WANT YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN THE STORY OF CREATION IN THIS WAY. WE'RE LIVING WITHIN CREATION. WE ARE PARTICIPANTS WITHIN CREATION. THIS IS YOUR PIECE OF IT. THAT'S YOUR VOCATION. IT COMES FROM THE LATIN: A CALLING, TO BE CALLED. A VOCATION IS THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE PURSUIT THAT YOU CAN DO. HERE’S THE AMAZING THING ABOUT HAVING A VOCATION. NOBODY CAN TAKE IT FROM YOU. NOBODY CAN GIVE IT TO YOU AND NOBODY CAN TAKE IT FROM YOU. SOMEBODY CAN TAKE YOUR JOB AWAY FROM YOU. SOMEBODY CAN TAKE YOUR CAREER AWAY FROM YOU. NOBODY CAN TAKE YOUR VOCATION AWAY FROM YOU.
WRITING WAS MY SACRED VOCATION. I WROTE EVERY DAY BECAUSE IT WAS A HOLY CALLING. I NEEDED TO PUT SOMETHING INTO THE WORLD. I NEEDED TO PUT MY HANDPRINT ON THE WALL OF MY LIFE AND SAY THAT I WAS HERE. I HAD A COMMITMENT TO MY VOCATION THAT SAID I WILL DO THIS FOR AS LONG AS I BREATHE, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER ANYTHING EVER COMES OF IT.
MY VOCATION, MY CALLING, MY PURPOSE IS TO BE A WRITER AND IT DOESN'T MATTER WHATEVER COMES OF THIS.
MY CAREER AS A WRITER MIGHT END SOME DAY.
MY VOCATION WILL NOT. MY VOCATION IS A FIRE THAT I WILL KEEP GOING.
DON’T LET GO OF THIS INCREDIBLY FIERCE SELF-ACCOUNTABILITY THAT IT TAKES FOR YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT YOU ARE IN CONTROL OF ALL OF THOSE THINGS.”
END OF QUOTE.
WHAT VALUABLE INSIGHT RESONATED WITH YOU FROM 2019? I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE.
AS I LOOK BACK AT 2019, I ACKNOWLEDGE I DID THE BEST I COULD. I WILL NOT BEAT MYSELF UP FOR WHAT I DID NOT ACCOMPLISH. I KNOW THAT A NEW YEAR PRESENTS NEW OPPORTUNITIES AND THAT IS A BLESSING. I WILL CONTINUE TO IMPROVE MY LIFE IN 2020, EVEN IN THE SMALLEST POSSIBLE WAY. I WISH YOU A HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON. ENJOY THAT CHRISTMAS SPIRIT. ENJOY PRECIOUS TIME WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS. LET THOSE SPECIAL MOMENTS SERVE AS A REMINDER WHERE TRUE HAPPINESS IS. SO, ARE YOU READY TO ACCEPT THE MIRACLES AND CHALLENGES AHEAD IN 2020? HERE’S TO A REMARKABLE YEAR 2020 THAT AWAITS; A NEW START TO A NEW DECADE!
VIOLETTA PESIN