Dear 2023,
✨ 2023: A Year of Highs ✨ HIT IT DJ!
This has been the year of getting back to the world, opening up, and going with the flow. Trusting our own intuition, breaking old patterns and trying new things.
➲ The year of travel — From San Francisco to: Bangkok, Singapore, London, Miami, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Honolulu, Los Cabos, Dolomites, Sicily... The journey of (self-)discovery never ends!
➲ The year of friendship — It was amazing to witness what happens when you lower your armor and open your arms wide. 2023 has gifted our lives with some amazing people: the long missing piece to our beautiful SF puzzle. Our home and our hearts have never been fuller and we couldn't be more grateful.
➲ The year of dancing and singing — From small music venues, to live music played by friends, from rooftop parties, to our very intimate "home club". We've been living on a dancefloor and the music fueled our souls.
➲ The year of not giving a damn (about what you may think of me) — I wore costumes and wigs, played silly, rediscovered the fun side of me, wrote lengthy cheesy posts, danced and sang like nobody's watching, I said what I wanted to say, posted what I wanted to post, called out who needed to be called out. I've felt free, even if perhaps it made me more "unpopular". Because I ain't here to show off or "influence" nobody. I also ain't here for anyone's entertainment. I'm here to share my story, collect memories, and connect with like-minded, worthy people 🤟🏼 The rest is noise in the background.
Was 2023 all positive? Is my life perfect? Nah, I'm still figuring it out!
This year, I've dealt with lots of self-doubt, creative block, the ups and downs (and loneliness) of freelancing, confusion about my career path, and defeat... It's been a bitter-sweet year of constant pivoting. But it's when we feel discomfort that we learn the most. And now I know that I'm ready for MORE! I do have a lot to give... and a lot more to get back with interest. 2024, I'm ready, I'm coming for you!
Nonetheless, I can confidently say that this has been the BEST year of my life and my favorite so far! I've felt younger, happier and freer than I have ever been before. And I entirely owe it to my "favorite kind of high", my soulmate, the one and only, Alan ❤️
The ongoing love, connection and support I've felt over the last year is unprecedented and empowered me to sort out my life, focus on my wellbeing, and figure out what I want to do "when I grow up" (will I ever?) It's the biggest gift I've ever received and one that I'll forever be grateful to Alan for.
I genuinely hope that I was able to share a piece of that happiness with you all. I may only (mostly) share the positive side of me on social media, but at least it's nothing but the absolute truth. "The eyes don't lie".
My TOP 3 Learnings and Advice
It's also been a year full of growth, self-reflection and learnings. If I can leave you with three pieces of advice:
1) Curate your environment
(It has a massive impact on your wellbeing!) — Buy plants, get soft lighting and candles, play music at dinner, dance at home, cook healthier meals, unfriend toxic people, find new friends, call your boss out, change jobs, quit all bad relationships, stop scrolling... Your choices (not God or destiny, not luck, not other people) define your life, it's on you to start saving yourself! The first step is admitting you need help, and then asking for it!
2) Feel people and balance the energy
I've learned to trust my senses and intuition. I can now read people in a matter of minutes and I'll know who to "invite in" and who to stay the hell away from. When you're feeling generous and energetic, it's OK to give 80 and receive 10 or nothing back, just don't make it a habit.
Human energy and healthy relationships are all about balance: if you give away too much energy without getting any back, you're just being depleted.
You're not a power bank, and you're not a charity worker either!
This year I've attracted new people, but I've also pushed away others. Yes, I know it sounds selfish and self-absorbed, but I've learned the hard way to put my own happiness first. Everything else will follow.
3) Be curious and question what you (think you) know
We all live in our respective bubble with the illusion of freedom of thought. Find ways to burst out of it when you can and learn about the real world outside. Learn about other "tribes" by mixing with them and asking them questions.
Don't let the "leaders" of your "tribe" define what and how you're supposed to think. Form your own opinions, challenge assumptions, seek productive debates.
And if you don't know about something, it's OK to say "I don't know, let me get back to you on that once I've learned more". It's better to shut up than to voice half-formed opinions.
So stop scrolling, start reading about, listening to, touching, feeling, seeing the world outside yours. It's not all black or white, blue or red. Our world is a much more colorful, nuance and complicated place than that. Don't believe who says otherwise.
May 2024 be a productive and precious advancement along your journey of self-growth. For me, it'll be about focusing on finding new purpose by getting back on a new successful career track; making up for the (not at all) lost years; and rebalancing without sacrificing. I know it'll be a more down-to-business type of year... but I also know that we'll keep making it fun with the lightness, laughter and love that characterize us.
I am fully charged and ready for new exciting adventures, rewarding challenges, and brand new beginnings. I hope you are too, it's gonna be great!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Love,
Marco