Although it’s a bit silly, we all summarize things in December and make a couple of lists of all the good and bad that happened in the year that is staying behind us. Or lists of what we are going to achieve or change in the year to come.

The first thing I’ve learned in 2016 is that I’m not going to plan the year 2017 at all! I know it sounds strange, but in 2016 I had so many plans, and they all changed so many times, and the only thing I got from planning was frustration and stress. So, in order to decrease the stress, I will decrease the planning. I will try to go with the flow. (I’m lying about this and I’m aware of it, but I hope that if I write it down and publish it, that I will have to put more effort in actually making it happen. I still believe in the power of a written word)

The second thing I’ve learned is that you can’t run away from your character and personality, no matter how hard you try. Yes, I know I’m a bit old to learn this now, but for several years I have tried to prove it’s possible. I was trying so hard I almost “killed myself”. It’s only possible to try to make smart choices and pick the environments that will fit your character. An equally important issue I’ve learned is that this is also applicable to other people. They can’t run away from their characters either. We can be stupid and sit and wait, and hope. It’s not going to happen.

The third thing I’ve learned is that I should trust my instincts about people much more than I have before. After having a year that was more turbulent than usual, I can conclude that my first judgment about someone is much better and more correct then my second or third one. Because the latter two are “contaminated” by justification, interest, wishful thinking, hope, anger… Why go through difficult times and a roller-coaster of emotions in relationships with others when you can simply put the right coordinates at the very beginning.

The last and most important thing I’ve learned in 2016 is that I can still write. After many years of running away from writing, I faced my biggest fear and exposed myself to the audience via this blog and via one theater play that I wrote. The blog is alive, the play will be published soon. Neither the blog, nor the play are the best in the whole world. But I’m learning all the time. Again. And I enjoy it! Cheers to that!