Happy New Year!! I know it isn’t Thursday yet, but with the new year, I thought it was the perfect day to reflect on 2016 … with an insightful guest post.
Once again, my beautiful, uber smart friend Kate Mansi has been generous enough to write a thoughtful, honest guest blog for us. Her quest to probe deeper, not only in her own mind, but also to hear the collective endlessly inspires me. She teaches me to look below the surface, to root around a bit for deeper meaning in my acting (she is a superstar in my book), and more importantly in my day to day life.
2016 : Welcome to the Jungle
by Kate Mansi
Apropos of its Chinese zodiac sign, the monkey, 2016 had moments I felt the whole world went ape sh**.
It was a year that demanded flexibility, versatility, agility and a sense of humor as we all jumped through hoops, monkeying around to stay afloat. With an astonishing number of tragedies and losses, I’ve never experienced such a collective feeling of misfortune for a particular year. The year was so widely recognized for it’s surprisingly strange and chaotic behavior it became it’s own hashtag, it’s own meme, it’s own character with a breakdown reading something like:
[2016] All Ethnicities; Mischievous, unpredictable. The one who comes to town to turn everything upside down.
Of course the flip side is that it’s all a matter of perspective. There were numerous unexpected highs amid the 2016 valley of lows. Which makes me wonder, was it a hellish year because it was so, or was it so, because we claimed it as such? There is power in numbers after all.
As an experiment, on New Years Eve, I asked people to leave one word on my Instagram account describing their year. It made for some very interesting, ironic and poignant reading. Take a look and tell me you aren’t seeing the same sense of eagerness to dismiss what the New York Times deemed, Worst. Year. Ever. The proof is in the posts.
Personally, 2016 was a year of unique challenges. However, it’s true – it really is all about perspective. 2016 was not ALL bad. But my God 2016, you were a jungle and we were your monkeys. Fair warning, according to the Chinese calendar, the zodiac sign stays until Jan. 27, so keep your chin up for another few weeks and then strap up for the year of … the rooster.
Here are the first 50 words mentioned (see the full list here).
NEXT.
Hurting
Rollercoaster
Shocking
Unhealthy!
#2016 unstoppable !!
Worthwhile
Long
Emotional
Memorable
Faith
Rollercoaster
Educational
Epic
Financial
Amazing
Happy!
Blessed. I got married.
Stressful
Uncanny
Tired
Grateful
Best
Humbling
Pleasant
Painful
Scrambled
Heartbreaking
Baby!
Challenging
Great
Grandson
Ugly
Firsts!
Heartful
Family
Golden
Adventurous
Unpredictable
Hard
Love
Demotion
Intense
Eventful
Bodacious
Rewarding
Challenging
Motivational
Complicated
Hard
Blown Away…
Happy 2017 to us ALL! MB…almost to the 3yr Plank mark still filling people with light and meaning, while Kate the Great you are a beacon of hope and a sweet reflector of all things relative ! I’m 2 weeks behind so let me start with a fitting word “Unfinished”…
It’s so amazing to me as I read all the comments here how many people have been suffering and are still suffering from the events that occurred last year in our lives…The death of loved ones, surgeries, hospitalizations and some truly beautiful moments that have miraculous turnouts for true survivors makes my heart remember that we all have our own tree of life in the garden of existence and we don’t want to trade trees or even branches because it might SEEM better then ours but where we’re rooted will always be something we own. In that ownership we can internally reflect on how we actually survived our drought…
Thank you all for reminding me that although my tree and roots may not be fruiting the way I want right now, I’m still part of this orchard damn it (!) and I believe that one foot in front of the other will guide me to a better year!
Love to ALL and ALL to love!
My word would be “heartbreaking”. My mom had a stroke in April and it was excruciating watching her fade away. I feel proud that our family came together to take care of her. She died in early November. Not as bad but still tough for me was watching Donald Trump get elected president. I am fearful of what lies ahead for our country. Sorry to be negative but that’s just how it was.
2016 was not a good year for me or my family. It started with my business taking a bit of a hit, then followed by my mother becoming ill and me having to return to the UK. Then sadly my father in law passed away and we had to return again. The final sadness was my son’s addiction to drugs that was brought to a climax and we had a lot of issues to face. I now look forward to 2017 being a fresh start for us and that my son will get the help he so desperately needs. Here’s to a better year, happy new year!
To many words come to mind when I look back on 2016. But through it all, I must say that the word BLESSED says it all. My mom came through brain surgery very successfully (Her 1st surgery was in 2004 & she had a 2nd one in Feb 2016) She was released in just a day and a half. She is perfect & you would never know anything was wrong (she had brain cancer), God is such an amazing God! I’ve been coming out of my comfort zones in so many ways. I’m finally accomplishing my dreams of being an actress (Mary Beth you’ve been such an inspiration to me through your blog, interviews & your acting. I’ve always wanted to act since I was a child & did do some but as I got older, everything was on hold. This last yr I’ve had to really push myself to follow my heart & proceed with acting instead of allowing the fear to take over. I’m meeting new people, & just getting out instead of being a hermit ( which I tend to be a lot in the winter, lol!) This is just giving you a few things that have gone on in 2016.I could not move forward with out knowing that God has me in the palm of his hands. Coming out of comfort zones is not easy but sure is worth it & I know that I can conquer the next thing that comes my way. The more I do, the more new things I want to try! I feel like I can breathe a little easier each time I move forward. Thanks Mary Beth & Kate! Happy New Year to you both!
Interesting to pick one word. I always feel blessed but boy oh boy it was a ROLLERCOASTER! I’m manifesting a better ride this year! This is making me think maybe I should write my one word down at the end of the day. It would be interesting to see at the end of the year how many days were great vs hard to get through.
Happy New Year MaryBeth and Kate!
~ Paula
My word is Fight.
2016 was my first year with new lungs. In and out of hospitals, tests after tests, emotional rollercoaster, rejection, pulmonary embolism, kidney failure. Blah, blah…but I made it. 💚Life is a gift 💚 No matter what year!
Unexpected because I never saw so much of it coming! Good and bad. I think I am fairly intuitive and can see both the forest and the trees, but 2016 came in like a lion, knocking me over.
Evolution…since I am constantly evolving and striving to be a better me. Learning, growing, regressing, starting over…it is a constant ebb and flow although not always easy. The best part of 2016…I was reunited with a younger sister and brother…we were separated 57 years ago and the universe conspired to right a wrong! I move into 2017 with a full heart and tons of gratitude! Happy New Year Mary Beth and Kate…love you two beautiful and inspiring beings so much! 💜
For me personally I would use the word exciting. I got to travel overseas 3 times to 3 unique corners of the world and I probably won’t get a chance to repeat that wonderful hat trick. But if it was for the rest of the world my word would be PERSPECTIVE. It was a year that reminded us that you can’t always get what you want but we should strive forward anyhow. All the negative descriptions on the fallout of your elections have reminded me that the people of Allepo and Mosul would love to grieve about something like that. The atrocities in the world once more remind me how damn lucky we western countries are. Yes we can and should strive to be better but others in the world can only dream of being as lucky as us. -Perspective.
I’d say, anxiety producing.
Sorry, couldn’t keep it to one word. Between finding out a loved one has metastatic breast cancer…to having financial struggles and major health struggles as a single mom…to losing so many of my childhood icons. And then there’s Trump. Anxiety-producing is it for me. Would love to find a sense of peace.
From a mom who named her daughter Kayla cuz of you, Mary Beth.
Struggle and happy are my one words..lol..
Grieving.
Heart broken.
Happy New Year! The one word that immediately comes to mind for me is GROWTH. There were so many aspects of my life that changed this year, challenged me, or pushed me outside my comfort zone. Whether it was trying something new, making new friendships or letting go of ones that had run its course, or refocusing on the things I want to accomplish in life, they all made me grow as a person. I am not the same person I was this time last year. While each year has its ups & downs, I am thankful for the changes, the challenges, and the pushes…they make me a better, stronger person.
I wish you all a very Happy New Year!! Can’t wait to see what 2017 has in store!
Mary Beth and Kate:
This was a unique end-of-year post with far less focus on all of the negative. For someone like me, sensitive to negativity (especially death-related stuff,) the end couldn’t come soon enough. My word is “filtering.”
There is negativity that surrounds us and times where we cannot escape grief and loss. Filtering is key. I can filter everything through the lens of negativity and despair and see what that gets me. Or, I can filter it through the lens of perspective. What is the worst thing that could happen? Did that happen? Then, this ain’t so bad.
No matter how bad one day is, the sun is sure to rise the next day. Sometimes, it feels like it’s taunting you. But, it’s really just a reminder that time is marching on and you’d better keep up.
May the new year bring everyone a less dark filter!
Well this is a nice surprise! Happy New Year Mary Beth & Kate! 2016! One word? That’s hard, but I think I’d go with Life-Altering (the hyphen makes it one word, right?). I started chemo for breast cancer, which was hard and scary of course, but by the end of the year I looked back & found that it was the best year of my life. So really I’d say Grateful, Humble, Love, Strength, Faith, Hopeful and Friendship. My life is forever changed & the best is yet to come! Thank you for sharing. I wish you both health & happiness in 2017 !❤
I remain healthy following heart surgery in 2015.. flummoxed because my hopes for solidarity following this election were squashed.. and I am hopeful for the future.. however rocky that may be. Happy New Year !