“Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place. – Iain S. Thomas, Author

Another year gone and once again, my life looks nothing like it did a year ago, which in turn, looked nothing like the end of 2014. It’s amazing how much can change in a single year.

2016 was an emotional roller coaster ride. I know many of you feel the same way. And as we set off into the new year, it’s helpful to reflect back and make plans for what’s to come.

I present to you, my Mind Over Meniere’s year in review:

My most popular posts of 2016:

In 2016, I published 52 posts, 13 videos, and 1 book. It was by far and away my most prolific year yet! And, in case you missed it the first time around, here are my seven most popular posts of 2016:

• What it’s Really Like to Live with Meniere’s Disease (VIDEO)
• The Crippling Fear of Meniere’s Disease (VIDEO)
• The Ultimate List of Meniere’s Disease Links and Resources
• The Selective Torture of Tinnitus
• A Message From My Wife Megan
• Chronic Illness and the Fight Against Feeling Lazy
• Erase Meniere’s Symptoms with a Temporary Lifestyle Cleanse (Updated for 2016)

Goals for 2017:

Create new content and develop new tools to help Meniere’s Disease Sufferers:

In addition to new blog posts and videos, in 2017, I plan to create several new tools to help Meniere’s disease sufferers better cope with their symptoms.

Of everything I’ve done with this blog, it’s the tools I’ve created that have made the biggest impact:

• In 2015 I introduced the Symptom Trigger Tool – a free one page journal template designed to enable you to track your symptoms, health, lifestyle and environment to quickly identify your Meniere’s disease triggers. Thousands of people use it daily to keep track of their health and find their triggers.
• In 2016, I created the Meniere’s Symptoms Relief Project – an album of brainwave training audio tracks, each engineered to help you cope with a different Meniere’s disease symptom. Hundreds of people use it regularly.

Help 10,000 people find relief from tinnitus:

With Rewiring Tinnitus finally finished, I’m shifting my efforts toward making an impact. I’m still not sure what that will look like, but you’re going to see me try a lot of new things on the tinnitus front.

I know that for many Meniere’s disease sufferers, tinnitus may not top your list of concerns. But if your tinnitus is making you miserable, let’s connect! I may be able to help and I’d love to hear from you. You can reach me directly at glenn@mindovermenieres.com or glenn@rewiringtinnitus.com.

Continue to work on exciting new initiatives with the Vestibular Disorders Association:

For more than two years now, I’ve worked with the Vestibular Disorders Association as a volunteer and as part of their Ambassador program. It’s been an incredibly fulfilling journey. Just check out some of the projects I’ve had the opportunity to work on: The VEDA New Patient Toolkit and The Family Support Network.

And judging by the last several meetings I’ve been a part of, it’s safe to say that there are some wonderful new VEDA projects on the horizon for 2017.

If you’ve been looking to get involved with the cause, I can’t recommend VEDA enough. Join me as a volunteer for 2017 and help us make a difference in the lives of vestibular patients around the world!

Quotes I Loved in 2016:

“If the world is cold, make it your business to build fires.” – Horace Traubel

In October, I had to shut down the small business that sustained me for the last seven years. It was a tough month. My stress levels were high and it triggered massive spikes in my Meniere’s symptoms. I spent much of October and November struggling with constant disequilibrium and brain fog.

I’ve also had to do a lot of soul searching, and while I don’t know what the future holds for my career, I know in my heart that I want to spend my time helping others. For the last few months, this quote has kept me focused on that goal.

“Sometimes the smallest step in the right direction ends up being the biggest step of your life. Tip Toe if you must, but take a step.” – Naeem Callaway

Change is almost never easy, and when adversity strikes, be it Meniere’s disease or otherwise, the first step in a new direction is always the hardest to take. But it’s the most important. I’ve come to believe that momentum is everything in life. And building momentum starts with taking that first positive step, as hard as is it may be.

“Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” – Will Rogers

Once you take the first step, you need to keep the ball rolling. It’s easy to procrastinate; to hold onto comfort at the expense of movement and growth. But you have to keep moving forward. This quote has reminded me, time and time again, to keep fighting for progress every single day. To try to be a little bit better than I was yesterday. And to keep fighting for my health, while striving to be a better person.

My Biggest Failure of 2016:

Over the last year and a half, I invested a lot of time and energy to create a meditation product called Zen Vitality. It seemed like such a good idea: Use the same brainwave entrainment technology that worked so well with the Meniere’s Symptom Relief Project to create an audio program that could induce deep meditative states at the push of a button.

But I did a terrible job marketing it and it wasn’t successful. I’m hoping to make it work in 2017, but without question, it was my biggest failure of 2016.

My Proudest Achievement of 2016:

I accomplished a lot this year, but my proudest achievement of 2016 was publishing my second book, Rewiring Tinnitus: How I Finally Found Relief from the Ringing in My ears.

I never thought I would write a book, not in my wildest dreams. It always seemed like such an impossible task. And while publishing Mind Over Meniere’s was a more difficult process, I’ve never worked as hard on anything in my life as I did on this new book. Whether it’s successful or not, I couldn’t be more proud of the result. And if it helps even just one person improve their life with tinnitus, then it was all worthwhile.

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I wish you the best of luck in the new year.

Here’s to a 2017 filled with laughter, hope, health, and happiness!

And share your triumphs, goals, and missteps in the comments below! We’re all here to help and support one another.