As we find ourselves at the end of another year, let’s take some time to reflect on lessons learned, relearned, emphasized, observed throughout the year. Our lessons come to us in different ways, from different places, through different people, and we don’t always receive them at the time. So let’s make the time now to look back on the ones we may have shelved or missed in the moment.
Here’s my partial list to help get you going:
- Build support systems you can trust.
- Express your gratitude to the support systems in your life. You won’t appreciate the value of genuine support until you no longer have it.
- Be loyal… but protect your boundaries.
- Don’t just float through life. Even while you are struggling, or maybe through that struggle, you have something to contribute.
- Never tell yourself you have no special skills or talents. It’s just not true. Start experimenting.
- There is no point to giving up on life. Life is built to end. Enjoy it while you have it.
- Know what brings you enjoyment. If you don’t, you will get caught up in the ideas of others and later, maybe much later, find that there was nothing in it for you.
- Prioritize sleep. At every stage of life your mind and body will thank you.
- Be aware of your smiles. If you’re not smiling, your life is off-balance.
- Sure, being entertained can be fun. It’s even more fun to create something. Don’t expect to really live your life if you only make time for what others create.
- Value your own company. In some seasons of life, you will have to wrap it around yourself to keep going, to stand for your beliefs, to fulfill that dream.
- Don’t waste time. Don’t waste money. You’re guaranteed to regret both.
- If you’re complaining the entire time you’re doing it, it’s probably not yours to do at this time.
- Lots of phrases, terms and labels pop up each year. Don’t feel pressured to try and mold yourself to them. If it doesn’t fit who you are or want to be, leave it be. We can’t all be the same person.
- Your growth may seem arbitrary – like it’s not producing anything real. Grow anyway… and be grateful that your mind is strong enough, stable enough, and open enough to embrace growth.
- Don’t run away from genuine love. Even when you need to be alone, just knowing that love exists is a source of support.
- Patience truly is a characteristic of true love.
- Never willingly put your mental health at risk.
- It’s okay to be selective about what you listen to, watch, drink, eat, wear, say, do. Your choices make you who you are.
- If your energy is low, something in your life needs to change. Period.
- Looking good is great, but if it’s all you think about, then you probably value other’s opinions far above your own. You were made to do more than just look good.
- Don’t discourage others. Their skills, talents, contributions may be exactly what you need in the future.
- Try to be respectful even in hard situations. People may be able to move past words, but the feeling of being extremely disrespected lingers.
- Let it go. Think about it, talk about it in the right context, learn from it… but let it go. Bitterness is not your friend.
- Stop creating arguments over everyday mistakes. We all make them.
- Yelling is harmful to do and harmful to receive. Stop yelling.
- Be careful of what you obligate yourself to.
- Get to know yourself. It’s hard to love someone you don’t know.
- Treat people the way you want to be treated. If they insist on treating you poorly, it’s not okay and you don’t have to ‘just deal with it’.
What lessons have you learned?
Share them below so we can help each other grow.
