Twenty Thirteen was certainly something. I found myself in some of the lowest valleys of my life, which pushed me to grow beyond what I previously thought possible. And despite (or perhaps thanks to) hardship, I was reminded daily of how crazy blessed I am. At the end of this year I am left with an overwhelming feeling of gratitude.
This was the year I turned 25. I re-opened the door to one of my first loves – dance – with my second year with Movement Project. I worked on Revenge, Grey’s Anatomy, and a popular webseries (Run DMZ); booked my first lead role in a feature film (Raven’s Touch); and was flown to NYC to work on a commercial for Nokia. I conquered my fears and sang in public for the first time in four years. I got to spend a lot of time with my family, making the trip home to Chicago a grand total of FOUR times. I reconnected with old friends, made some amazing new ones, and lost two dear friends to illness. It was a long year. It was a tough year. But I can honestly look back with zero regrets and a whole lot to be thankful for.
At the beginning of this year I wrote that I wanted to:
Complain less. Love more.
Fear less. Create more.
Regret less. Laugh more.
& be more grateful, more gracious, and overall more reflective of God’s work in me.
Reflecting upon this year, I think I definitely accomplished these goals and am continuously working toward that last bit 🙂 In the new year I want to continue to be grateful every day. I want to grow in my prayer life. I want to be more disciplined about my diet, exercise, and use of free time. I want to work my tail off and book something BIG. I want to leave space to work on a project I truly care about. I want to be more spontaneous and say yes to things that scare me. I want to forgive freely and love fiercely. I don’t want to take a single moment for granted.
So here we are – saying goodbye to 2013 with a heart full of thanks, welcoming 2014 with a heart full of hope. Now let’s go eat some dduk guk.
