Reflection at the end of the year 2023

It is a time when we sit still and reflect on the things we did and did not do, and analyze what we did good or bad. And learn to ask forgiveness and forgive.

There comes a time in everyone’s life when you get the reply “SCRATCH DISK FULL” and after all the things you will try, move information, avoid, and ignore, you will get “COULDN’T COMPLETE TASK”.

Although time flew faster than any other year, this week felt like I was trying to finish every task, project, and goal I had planned for this year in one day, I couldn’t get around this, and felt completely stuck.

So, I had to sit back, in all the anxiety and restlessness, to sit still at the speed of time ending the year.

Reflecting on the past year is like cleaning your hard drive, your working space, or your mind with all your thoughts, ideas, and plans and can be a difficult task, keeping in mind all the questions:

- – what do I need?
- – what makes sense?
- – what do I let go of?
- – what do I want?
- – where am I going?
- – what is my purpose?

It is a time when we confront our fears, frustrations, and failures, and we have to accept our mistakes. Sit still in with our losses, grief, sadness, and longings. And hope for the better.

Making plans and goals in a chaotic and insecure world, pretending, always pretending…

And always ask the question:

- – did this year, make me a better, kinder, loving, and forgiving person?

All the questions that we avoid asking because we don’t want to answer, will come out like a cascade of thoughts.

The meaning of the end of a year

~ The Photo Poetry Book - a year of 366 days of PhotoPoetry ~Day 36 - Less — All Rights Reserved **DACIANA LIPAI** © www.thephotopoetrybook.com – **The Photopoetry Book I**

The ending of a year is a constant reminder that everything will pass and nothing material lasts in this world. We were made for eternity, but first, we have to get there.

The end of a year is just like the end of every day when we look back and analyze the things we did or didn’t do, and list the good and the bad we did. In the same way, we have to look at the end of a year and reflect.

Maybe the goal is to ask for forgiveness so that we can forgive, and move on.

Reflecting on the end of the year is important because we have to confront all the things we avoided all year long.

For me, this year was a year of growth, depth, and meaning but also came with a lot of struggles and regrets. Looking back, I found 10 years old unfinished work, and wondered, what is this still doing here? Or unknown work, forgotten ideas, and procrastinated projects. Just bits of thought.

Things I don’t want to finish, things I don’t want to let go, things I am obsessively collecting, things I hold on, to for a point in my life when time will stop so I can make the perfect project I love.

My biggest regret.

I found an old 3 manuscripts of books that I wanted to publish but somewhere along the way, I convinced myself it was not important because nobody would read them. This should never be our worry as artists, our only worry is to make the artwork. This is our purpose.

This could be the greatest excuse not to finish a project. We all do this. And quite often enough.

My biggest realization.

Even though it was a year that brought me great achievements, a gold medal, and important shortlisting and interviews, for which I am very grateful, I can_t asses these acknowledgments as my realizations. I would feel a little bit of unfairness.

I can only speak about the work I have done. From this, I have dedicated my year to the Romanian Sayings Served Up on a Plate (You can read more about it here) which speaks from my heart and is a step forward in my artwork.

My biggest fear

For the past years, I have been troubled by the events happening around the world that impacted our lives. I started to create around the theme of peace, knowing that the war near the border of our country could easily drag us into a war that isn’t ours.

Finding courage

I have finally finished a project that I started 6 years ago, The Great Willow (You can read more about it here.)

Finding courage means stopping time because one of our biggest excuses is that we don’t have time. When we will find the courage to do something, we will find time.

The greatest deception.

The hardest task remains to make plans and goals in the insecurity of tomorrow, in an unstable, unjust, confusing, and chaotic world. We have to forget all the lies that we tell ourselves because we don’t want to accept the truth.

The end of the year is just a reminder that we are just one step closer to death.

This shouldn’t look fearful, but hopefully of the Heaven that awaits, and in the back of your mind always know this, and make sure that every step we take on this Earth is leading us on the right path.

To ask forgiveness, to forgive, to pass from ignorance and unlove, and to make sure we understand good from bad and keep the right path.

I wish you all a Happy New Year!
and may the New Year bring us love, peace, and understanding.

thank you all for reading and the support!

Feel free to share this with your art-lover friends or with anyone who can use a nice word. Leave a comment or drop me a line. I would love to hear from you.

Want to learn more about the photopoetry books? You can check out more here.

Interested in adding a fine art photopoem to your collection? You can check out more about my fine art prints here.

Lots of love, Daciana

Reflection at the end of the year 2023