Reflection on 2011

Well, 2011 has passed and the new year is well underway. Once again I'm late to remember backwards, but perhaps it's because I'm so busy dreaming forward. Ahhh well.

A little over a month ago my inbox was flooded with promotional emails from various companies that want to facilitate new years resolutions to get fit, lose weight, and become a better me. For a number of reasons I'm not one to set new year's resolutions, but I do appreciate the opportunity to reflect on what's happened, how I want things to change, and dream about what's to come.

Here are just a few highlights from 2011:

1. Finished year two of graduate school. Another year under my belt means another year closer to new adventures. I'm in no big hurry to rush through this program, but I'm grateful to have accomplished this much. Even though there is much left temporally (largely due to a year-long practicum requirement), I'm nearing the end of my coursework. Getting there!
2. Became published. Since June of 2010 I've been researching and writing with a professor here. We co-authored a paper together, and it was accepted by an academic journal late last spring. The entire experience of working on this paper (and working on another that's currently in progress) has challenged me toward greater differentiation. I've become aware of my insecurities around my academic competence and have learned to affirm myself in this area. Both academically and personally, I've grown from this work.
3. Ran my second marathon. Team Ortho did a great job hosting the Minneapolis Marathon on June 4th. It was fun to run the city I've come to love so much. Training was a bit more difficult with a couple of injuries and an unusually long winter, but I managed to shave 3 minutes off my time from Grandma's Marathon in 2009 for a time of 3:54. I just recently began gearing up for the Fargo Marathon in May. Spring is near!
4. Did not participate in my own diminishment. There were a few pretty difficult experiences in 2011 that I would have liked to avoid, but they stretched and challenged me to let my voice be heard about issues of injustice. I'm grateful for colleagues, mentors, and friends who encouraged me to not participate in the diminishment of myself by lovingly and actively seeking justice. They've laughed and cried with me around these experiences, and I'm deeply moved by their presence in my life.
5. Became aware of and changed my engagement with unhealthy patterns and systems. Systems strive for equilibrium, and many achieve it. But a functioning system is not synonymous with a healthy one. I've long been able to notice unhealthy systems, but I've been less keen on identifying the ways in which I participate in them. In 2011 I became more aware of the ways I contribute to unhealthy patterns and systems - whether actively or passively - and I committed to change. I've worked hard to be cognizant of habitual responses that serve to reduce anxiety but inhibit growth. I've not mastered this, but I'm learning and growing and am committed to continuing this work.
6. Made some significant changes in how I eat. For ethical, theological, and nutritious reasons we've switched things up a bit: we buy local and organic as much as possible, became members at our local co-op, don't buy anything with high-fructose corn syrup or hydrogenated oils, eat very few refined carbohydrates, eat plenty of good fats (yes, even saturated if they're the right kind!), and don't buy anything low-fat or fat-free...just to name a few. Check out a couple of our favorite (and accessible) resources for a snippet of reasoning behind the madness...
1. Gary Taubes' Why We Get Fat: And What to do About it (book)
2. Food, Inc. (documentary)
7. Got a new job. Same office, new position. I've learned a lot about myself since stepping into a position of leadership 6 months ago. I continue to learn....oh, how I continue to learn...and I'm deeply grateful for the opportunity.

Much of what I've shared seems positive, but there are also some painful stories that led me to these reflections. The pain and the joy...it's all a holy mix. 2011 was a year of growth. More than ever I've assumed responsibility for my own well-being and have chased after the best possible version of me. I'm thrilled with how the year wrapped up, how 2012 has begun, and for where I'm headed. 

It was a good and fulfilling year. That's all I can really ask for.