A better year in 2023

DreamStudio’s truly horrifying vision of sad people on New Year’s Eve

These things all happened to me in 2022:

There’s no sugar-coating it, all of that sucked.

But I have to say, I learned something important. If you build things well over many years: relationships, reputations, integrity — it pays off. A good life has momentum, even if it hits a few potholes.

I have never depended on my wife as much as I did this year. I am very thankful that she is there and has stood by me through all of this. People don’t think about this kind of thing when they are choosing who to spend their lives with, but it turns out to be one of the most important things in life.

I also found out in 2022 that my siblings and my mother work well together under stress. We are closer than we were before my father died, and I feel fortunate that I can depend on them. That is not something that everyone has, and I value it.

My children have become young adults who are successful at living fulfilling lives and building careers and relationships. They are wonderful people. I feel proud for them, but this also feels a bit like all the years we spent taking care of them and raising them have paid dividends as they have reached adulthood.

Despite taking a hiatus in posting on this blog while I took care of my father, it continues to generate traffic. It scored 360,000 hits in 2022. I continue to get a lot of engagement on posts about writing books, and my own book on the topic will come out in 2023. I have high hopes for it.

And in the second half of this year, new business flooded in at double the rate of the first half of the year. That trajectory continues to be encouraging.

If you’re one of my regular readers, thanks for sticking by me. I’ll try to live up to your expectations in 2023. See you on the other side.

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6 Comments

  1. Hello,
    Thank you for this post.

    I am really glad you have family support and that things are looking up professionally. I do hope 2023 continues with that trend.

    I would also like to thank you for your posts. I have your book too, but just reading the posts brings a good understanding about how to write well, precisely and succinctly.

    Keep well and keep going.

    Best,

    Mar

  2. I’ll let other frequent readers weigh-in, Josh, but your candid disclosures about your father’s death, your cancer diagnosis and the subject of arrogance were among the most beneficial posts this year. We know not what 2023 holds; we do know that your willingness to express yourself on challenging subjects enhances the public dialogue.

    Thank you for your years of trust, wisdom and friendship. Alan