As one more year draws too near, many of us take the time to reflect all the bad and good things happened this 2016, think about what we've achieved and what we've learned, mistakes we've made and goals we met. This year is one of my absolute favorite weeks because I not only take the time to think the entire upcoming year, but I take a close look at some of the priceless lessons that I learned along the way.
Personally, this year 2016, I became more of who I am meant to be, not because I achieved my goals, or reached a new level of achievement, or found more love in my life, those things happened, but they were by-products of me being genuine. I had so many incredible opportunities, and dreams came to life in 2016, and I’ve been spending some time thinking about every lesson that I learned and generating new Ideas and making it happen this 2017.
This year was more about letting go of who I thought I needed to be to allow the person I am to shine within.
Here are the lessons that I learned this year, that helped me become fully myself.
1. Take Chances
Trying new things can be scary, but it's important to take the opportunity to do so. There are so many things I've gotten the chance to do this year that I never would have done in the past, and feel as though I'm better for having done them.
2. Being pleasant to individuals goes far.
You never know what kind of things a person is going through and who knows, maybe you asking how they are time to time makes their day.
3. Do the things that make you upbeat.
Whether that's trying out new food, visiting new places, playing with puppies, going to concerts, taking pictures, re-watching The Office, keep at it.
4. Have some Empathy for Everyone.
It's actual when they say you don't know a person's past or their struggles. A simple act of kindness can go a long way.
5. It is important to put yourself first.
Eventually, you're the one who has to live your life, nobody else. There are significant things in life, like school, friends, and family, but all of this stuff take second place to the things that you need in life. Taking care of yourself allows you to be peaceful and live a relatively stress-free life, so it's important to do things for your own benefit.
6. Age is just a number.
You are never too young or too old to accomplish a task or try something new. It's never too late or too early to stop a bad habit, to get out of a messy circumstance, or to look for better opportunities. How you feel about yourself overrides the age that you are.
7. Asking help is a strength, not weakness
This can mean something different to everyone. For me, it means not being scared to talk to someone when your mental health isn't where you want it to be. Asking for help is never something to be embarrassed by. It shows that you're smart enough to know your limits.
8. The BEST is yet to come.
As long as you are living, you can make each new day better than the last. The future holds immense possibilities; believe in yourself to take them, and have faith that the best is yet to come.
Dr. Addison Montgomery from "Private Practice" once said, "Life doesn't get easier, it just gets different." This is true, and especially for a year like 2016. There will always be a new obstacle, a new challenge, a new trial to overcome. We can take it on with confidence as each previous obstacle, challenge, and trial gave us experience and fortitude for the next one. 2017 will be the best year yet - I know it. So let's take all that we have learned in 2016 to conquer everything 2017 will set before us.
