2008...What Did It Teach You?

A friend and I had dinner in Chicago and during the conversation, she asked me on a scale of 1 to 10, how would I rate 2008. After giving it some careful thought, I advised that I would give it a 7. 2008 was a good year, with some downs but mostly ups. I can't really complain about it because while a lot of people lost a lot in 2008 (jobs, savings, homes, etc.) I did not. All in all, it was a really good year and was better than 2007 was to me. 2008 taught me a lot about myself and others and I think it has shaped me in the long term as far as my constitution. Here is just a sample of what the year 2008 has taught me:

Patience- I am the most impatient person you will probably ever meet. Strike that. I was the most impatient person. Through several instances this year, I learned that in order to be a better person, I must be patient. It is not all about ME and when I want it and HOW I want it. Good things come to those who wait. I've been catered to for the most part all of my life and became accustomed to not having to wait for what I want. 2008 has shown me that for the really good things in life, and no I am not talking about posessions; I am talking about relationships, friends, cultivation of self, etc., that patience is indeed an accessory that must be used in order to move forward.

Worth- I now know my worth. I now feel comfortable excluding those in my life who are not worth my time, my friendship, my genorosity, etc. For many years, I gave to those who were undeserving because I didn't have the backbone to simply say NO. Through several incidences this year, I finally grew a spine and saw people for what they were, no sugarcoating involved. So 2008 has shown me that those who are unworthy of me and my time should not get it. Period, point blank. And also, my worth is measured by ME, not by others definintion of what is should be or what is in their OPINION. Opinions are like @ss...(fill in the blank). Everyone has one. I am now no longer worried about anyone else's opinion of me but MINE.

Independence- I have always prided myself in the past for being independent but I really wasn't. Yeah I had my own car, paid my own bills, etc., but I wasn't really independent. I was holding onto people who I really didn't need to hold onto because I was afraid of being alone. Now I really don't care if I am alone or not. I actually like being alone. I like not going out every Friday night. I like spending time with just Me, Myself, and I. I don't need an audience all of the time. I feel good about that, 'cause in spending time with myself, I have grown as a person. And I have grown my relationship with God.

Direction- I have meandered about throughout life. Going nowhere but then going everywhere. I now have a constitution. I now know where I want to go. I now am no longer predicated on where EVERYONE else is going. My vision is on-point and focused on MY future and the future on my son and daughter. Everything else is out the window, including everyone else's directional plans for me. I have an agenda and mandate which is in force daily, and it will take me to where I want to be in the next year or two.

Womanhood- I am a grown ass woman. I have been for years of course, but saying you are a woman and being a woman are two different things. Womanhood doesn't just come with age and your biological clock and womanly parts. It also stems from your atttitude, your demeanor, how you carry yourself, etc. I used to talk the talk but I didn't (or couldn't) walk the walk per se. I feel that with each passing day, I grow into the woman that my Grandmother was when she was my age. I handle business, take care of family, hold it down at work and home, all while confident. I am not saying I don't have times of doubt, but as time passes, the days of doubt become less and less and I feel more powerful about the decisions I make and the direction I am headed.

What has 2008 taught you?