A Life-Changing 2016

I'm a little late in the game for the New Years reflections, but I suppose I just found my inspiration. I've decided to look at some of the moments that changed my life in 2016. Dramatic? Perhaps. But also true. Here we go:

DC with Mom: Mom and I were both eager to visit the National Museum of African American History & Culture as soon as we heard it was open.  "Well, why not plan a trip?!" So we did.  We booked our flight and hotel and were there about 3 months later. This was the first trip I had been on with my mom since my college orientation - so, a long time ago. I realized how rare it was to spend such extended time with Mom one-on-one. We had a blast, and it was a gift. Life-changing how, you ask?  This is a trip I will always remember - this special time with my mom. So that is life-changing in and of itself.  Also - the museum was a life-changing experience. Go.  It was hard to walk through the darkness of our nation's history (and present). It served as a reminder of how terrible humans can be to one another, and renewed the call to love above all else. We must love.

2016 Election. Sorry to get political here, but it did change my life.  To hear a man who was running (and is now president) dismiss sexual assault against women as "locker room talk" was a wake-up call. I experience sexism everyday, but to hear it justified by our president? Yep. That changed my life. On the flip side, seeing Hillary as our first major party presidential candidate also changed my life. She didn't win, but she got closer than any woman had before. I hope to see it come to fruition in my lifetime.

The Cubs. Of course!  I already wrote a long post about that, so I won't dwell on it here. Since that post, a documentary was released about the 2016 World Series, and the narration focused on time. "The most powerful thing about time is that it never stops. That means there is always the possibility that whatever you see next could be something you've haven't seen before." 108 years.  Life changing.

Courage Works. I took an online course with Brene Brown centered around her books Daring Greatly and Rising Strong. This helped me become a better person, a better friend, a better employee...this changed my life.

Meal Mentor. I wanted to go more vegan in 2016. I've been a strict vegetarian for 20 years, but have read more about how consuming any animal products can be detrimental to our health and the environment. To help make the transition, I signed up for the Meal Mentor plan via the Happy Herbivore Lindsay Nixon - a vegan meal plan. While I still am not 100% vegan, I am about 90% there and have never felt better.

Books. I read 52 books last year!  You can see my list here (though you do have to sign up for Goodreads, which I highly recommend).  I read a variety of things, but of course a heavy dose of politics. I love reading. I learn so much about the world while reading non-fiction, and I learn so much about myself while reading fiction. Reading expands my view of what is possible. It allows me to enter into a new story. It challenges my imagination, my ability to suspend belief...it helps me dream of what is not yet, but could be someday.

Purging. I took a week off of work in February to purge my condo, and it took all week! I got rid of so much stuff (to clarify: I donated it, not trashed it). It's been nearly a year, and my place is still purged. I have a white elephant exchange coming up and have no crap in my house to wrap. It's wonderful. This process was also an outward expression of some of the internal work I was doing (thanks, Brene Brown).  Getting rid of things cluttering my life - be they literal or figurative...yep. Life-changing.

What changed your life in 2016?