Closing 2023 with Belief
Sometime over the summer, I came across a mantra of sorts. I have no idea from where: Instagram, one of my dozens of self-help books : ) or maybe it surfaced during a meditation. But alas, it read:
This year is better than I even imagined.
And frankly, most of 2023 has not felt like that. At home and with friends, we’ve been #jokingnotjoking that it’s been the year of Dave. And please don’t get me wrong: I do not believe that life is a zero-sum game. There’s enough space for everyone to have a great year. But in my tiny corner of the world, it didn’t feel like things were shaking out that way.
Yet when this mantra crossed my mind 6 months ago, I really believed it. And it’s been an anchor I’ve trusted through the highs, lows, and (a)has this year.
There’s something you should know about me. Maybe you already do.
There’s a part of me that is sweetly optimistic – naïve even – about humans. She’s at odds with critical thinking, risk-averse, bottom-line Julie. But she’s ever present.
Sweet, naïve Julie believes that when people do bad things, whether horrific and large-scale, or individual and pointed, I really believe they don’t know what they’re doing. That their feet are so firmly cemented in their station in life, their outlook, that they truly don’t believe they’re acting with malicious or manipulative intent. They’re trapped in their own worldview, which is likely its own prison of sorts. And in a clamoring attempt to escape, they throw grenades, not even realizing it.
(Don’t get me wrong: they must be held accountable for their actions. But I’ve found that accountability or holding up a mirror can be quite shocking because they can’t see beyond themselves. They really, really can’t).
You may argue: sometimes, people know exactly what they’re doing to manipulate a situation or cause harm. And you could very well be right. But I choose to stick with my default response:
Be clear-eyed about the Truth (with a capital T), and assume that others are acting in the same vein. Then keep doing the right, generous thing, over and over again. You’ll get knocked down. People may “take bites out of you,” as someone recently said to me. But I believe in my deepest being that this is how to live a life. And believe it or not: it’s how to run a business.
Yet, I do want to acknowledge: this approach isn’t for the faint of heart. It takes generosity, emotional endurance, and trust. Faith. Belief.
It’s like Kris Kringle says,
If you can’t accept anything on faith, then you’re in for a life of doubt.
And doubt does not make a useful entrepreneur.
As for me and Ellevated Outcomes, in the end, we are, in fact, closing the year better than I could’ve ever imagined. As our newest colleague said last week: “It feels like the Ellevated Outcomes rocket ship is about to take off, and I am here for it.”
So, my dear and esteemed colleagues, clients, and friends: I hope that your 2023 too, is closing in a way that’s better than you could’ve imagined. And if not, my holiday wish for you is to have the belief that whatever events you’ve gone through this year are leading you to that place.
Warmly,
Julie
