Hello! It’s been a minute. As you may or may not know, I didn’t post a new blog last week and I also didn’t post at my usual time this week – woot woot, goooo Tay! Killing it. For that, I do apologize, but life is life and here👏we👏are👏. So that means we have a lotttttt to catch up on, friends… let me tell ya. The year of 2021 is coming to an end and what a year it was, amirite?

 

Before I get into it, I hope every single one of you had an amazing holiday and spent it with family, friends, yummy food, Die Hard, wine, board games, and comfy themed PJs. Because let’s be real, that’s what the holidays are all about. The holidays are a full on Olympic event for my family. We always have and always will go ALL OUT. It’s just what we do and I wouldn’t want it any other way. But just like many others, this year was a very different Christmas for us. Unfortunately my fam was hit with COVID just days before we were all set to get together and celebrate Christmas. 

 

There’s no other word for it than shitty. It was so shitty. As you could imagine, this put a massive wrench into our traditions and plans. We tried everything we could to fight this virus off – self-isolating from each other, pushing our Christmas to be celebrated at a later date, and following all recommended protocols. COVID won, and with impeccable timing might I add. It started with one of us and soon spread to others. This new variant is no joke, people. It feels like no matter how safe we were being, it was coming for us hard and fast. Almost like we were going to war with no weapons. The virus impacted all but one of us – my older brother was still in the city and luckily missed out on all the Omicron fun.

 

All in all, not the best way to finish out 2021, but this year has really opened my eyes and taught me A LOT. Sometimes it takes a year like this to teach you lessons that you need to know:

1)

Family is absolutely EVERYTHING. Without family, I don’t know who I am. I’m so incredibly fortunate and forever grateful that I was in quarantine with the majority of my family. There are so many people who had to isolate alone not only this holiday season, but also periodically throughout the year while cases jumped up & down. THAT is hard. If you’re fortunate enough to have family, hold onto them tight and never let go.

2)

Gratitude, gratitude, gratitude. It’s something that should be incorporated into every single day. I noticed myself becoming extremely negative about the entire COVID situation, especially recently, which really started to affect my day-to-day. I know there are days when it feels impossible to practice gratitude but it’s such a good exercise. Stop, think, and be grateful for everything you have. 

3)

It’s always better to overdress than to underdress. I know there weren’t a ton of events or really much of anything going on this year, but if you’re debating on what to wear and if you’ll fit the dress code, always pick the “dressier” option. There’s seriously nothing worse than showing up somewhere and you’re the one in leggings and a hoodie while everyone else is wearing jeans and a cute top. 

4)

Choose happiness, always. I made a bold move this year and quit my 9-5 job because I wasn’t happy. Was it the smartest decision financially? Probably not. But the weight I felt lifted off my shoulders when I finally broke free of what was bringing me down was unlike any feeling I’ve ever felt. Find what makes you happy and follow that route and that route only. You’ll run and never look back, trust me.

5)

Travel as much as you can. If an opportunity to travel presents itself, don’t pass it up. This year has made me realize more than ever that travelling is one of my deepest passions and something I need to do in my life. There’s just nothing more liberating and nothing that makes me feel more free.

6)

Who cares what others think? This is a lesson that I have started to embrace but would like to fully embrace in the new year. It’s a hard one but such an important one. The only opinion that should ever matter to you is yours because it’s the one you have to live with everyday. Sure, advice and suggestions from others are great, but comments and thoughts that don’t align with you have got to go, hunny.

7)

Don’t be so hard on yourself. I am for sure my own biggest critic. I rarely am proud of myself or the work I do, and will always find a way to beat myself up over even the smallest things. This year I tried to take a step back and celebrate my little wins. It made such a difference for me with my overall attitude and made me excited to try the next thing.

8)

Use a hydrating face mask once a week. This is something I wasn’t doing as frequently until this year and I noticed the biggest difference with my skin. Pick a day and make that your designated face mask day (mine is Sunday). For my skincare lovers, this is a must!

9)

Set goals for yourself and document them. This is something I JUST started doing but am hoping to continue to do for myself in the new year. I find that for myself, I need direction and I need an end goal. Even if I can’t achieve my goal in the timeline I had planned for, you can measure your progress towards your goal and that is just as important as the goal itself.

10)

Self-care is so important. I’m not talking about having a bath or your 12-step skincare routine, although these are both fabulous things to do to take care of yourself and things I would HIGHLY recommend. I’m moreso talking about looking yourself in the mirror and asking yourself the hard questions – “what’s weighing me down?”, “is it worth going out to that dinner party if it’s causing me this much anxiety?”, or “why does this bother me?”. Taking care of yourself and your mental health is just as important as taking care of yourself physically. 

 

With every year comes new life lessons. I’m grateful that these were some of the lessons I learnt in 2021, and am very much looking forward to what life lessons I will learn in 2022. I wish you all a very happy new year filled with health & happiness! 

 

Goodbye 2021… cheers to 2022! 

 

Until next year…

Peace & love!

TL