PowerHouseCreatives Contest | 2019: A Year of Breaking Out of My Comfort Zone

This is an entry to @powerhousecreatives community contest by @zord189.

I have been pondering on the top three photos to recap my year. It will be over in eleven days. I suppose by now I have more or less a view of how my 2019 has gone.

It took me a while to actually write a post on this as there were too many happenings for the year. Most, if not all, were really great.

For many years now, I have been adding DECLUTTER to my list of goals. I have only been given a chance to fully commit to this goal towards the end of 2018. I even added my 2019 catch words "declutter & refurbish" as my main #2019goal. I have been documenting my progress on my main blog Fresh Start. I do a #monthlyrecap post there to show how far I have been progressing and how much I have been able to declutter and refurbish. I know that I'm not even halfway through with my tasks, but when I look back, I realize how far I have actually come and how much I was already able to do within this short span of time.

You see, for many years, I have avoided letting go of old stuff. Plus, I have lived with pack rats all these years, and I have somehow avoided facing the issue. I started doing bits of decluttering in 2018, but it was not enough as we have accumulated decades worth of stuff. I came across Marie Kondo and sourced out her book, "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up". It was apparently what I needed in my life. I'm still reading and re-reading her book in order to keep moving forward. More importantly, I've learned to let go.

My first photo (previously shared on my social media accounts):

_{made with photogrid app on my mobile}

This was one of the many cleaning up and clearing out operations that I got to work on during this year. There are more featured on my blog. I am serious about hitting my goal that I monitor my progress through my blog.

"When we really delve into the reasons for why we can't let something go, there are only two: an attachment to the past or a fear for the future." - Marie Kondo

2019 was not all work and no play. I have a travel bucket list that I have also been keeping for years. Just like my declutter project, travel plans for Batanes (my number one item on my list) was planned in 2018. It was, however, not the only place that my daughter and I got to visit within the year.

My second photo:

_{made with photogrid app on my mobile}

The Callao Cave trip was cancelled last year, so my daughter scouted around to make it a reality this year. I've got to give her credit for finding us a slot for this tour. The same goes for the Stilts Calatagan booking. She really put to good use her planning skills.

Fill your life with experiences, not things. Have stories to tell, not stuff to show.

As a mom, I've always given my daughter my all out support. 2019 was not only a year that made my goals a reality, it was also a year that I supported my daughter in fulfilling hers. She waited six years to finally be able to watch "The Phantom of the Opera". The last time the production was in Manila, she was still in her senior year of college. It was truly a dream come true for her.

The Dessert Museum was also another place she has wanted to visit. It was her treat for my birthday, but I just went along so she would finally be able to see the place for herself. You should see the happiness on her face on all the photos we took!

My third photo:

_{made with photogrid app on my mobile}

“Happiness is mother and daughter time.”

On a final note, thank you @zord189 for this community contest. With or without it, I would have written a post about my year. I pray that succeeding years will be just as meaningful and productive.

“You never change your life until you step out of your comfort zone; change begins at the end of your comfort zone.” ― Roy T. Bennett

P.S. Finding Steem and joining the blockchain (through CTP) is another step out of my comfort zone for this year. I have learned much in my four months on the platform, yet I know that I have much more left to learn. I hope that I will always find ways in doing so.

* * * * * * *

_{me avatar created from bitmoji app from my mobile}

_{I'm a graduate of Steem Terminal's October Redfish Rally}

I'm on Steem 'coz of:

My main affiliate program ===> ClickTrackProfit

Documenting my life's journey:

My main blog ===> Fresh Start

I started a series since October 2018...

'Coz I like Tumblr ===> I Am Raincrystal

^{to learn more about either of these projects, please visit: @heyhaveyamet or @steemterminal}