My lessons of 2011

I posted this on my Facebook this morning. Might as well let the rest of you in on it too :) Have a safe and happy new year!

 

1. If you can imagine it, you can make it happen.
2. You are a product of your enviornment. Surround yourself with positive, supportive people and happiness will follow.
3. Sometimes, fighting for every inch to get to that mile isn't so bad.
4. It's all a journey, we are all works in progress.
5. No doesn't mean no, it means not yet.
6. Listen 10 times more than you speak.
7. Even on the worst day there is still something to smile about.
8. Strength lies in forgiveness, forgive those who hurt you and you take away their power over you.
9. No matter what has happened or will happen, I will always be her daughter.
10. Sometimes you don't get along with others because they reflect everything you dislike about yourself.
11. Growth starts outside your comfort zone. If you're not growing it's because you're TOO COMFORTABLE.
12. Everything will work itself out in the end. Make a decision and keep plugging away at it. Eventually you'll get it right.
13. If you're spending all your time thinking about what may go wrong, you're not focusing hard enough on what you want to go right. Plan to succeed, don't plan on failing.
14. Just accept the damn compliment once in a while.
15. Keep loving the way you love until you find someone who will love you the way you need to be loved.
16. Words are words, actions are actions. Don't confuse the two.
17. In life, you'll always get exactly what you need, when you need it. It may not always be what you want, but it's going to be what you need.
18. Let your past make you better, not bitter.
19. Thinking about doing something is always a hundred times worst than actually doing it.
20. Failed attempts are just an opportunity to grow and learn.
21. There will always be laundry that needs to be done, projects to be completed. Take some time out to yourself. You won't be able to do any of those things if you're not in good health. Quit playing catch up with yourself and remember to be kind to yourself.
22. It will never "get better" when you overcome this milestone or that obstacle. It's better today than it was yesterday. Make it better today, every day.
23. It's never too late to keep trying.
24. There is nothing you can't do if you want it that bad.
25. Celebrate your successes. As great as the next goal will be, the one you just accomplished was pretty awesome too.
26. There's nothing wrong with being passionate about something.
27. Be true to yourself. Even if you wanted to be someone else, you can only be yourself.

My secret to happiness

This has been one insane year for me. Well, the last quarter of the year has been insane for me. I will put this out there... In the last quarter of the year I ended a toxic relationship (several actually), got into a car accident, became briefly homeless, and acquired a second job. But, in going through all of those things... I reconciled with my long-estranged family, established new healthy relationships, and shed the last ties I had to my previous unhappy life. It all goes to show there are always good things with the bad.

Call me an eternal optimist.
Call me idealistic.
Call me positive.

I've somehow managed to make it through this year keeping a smile on my face 90% of the time, laughing and joking on a daily basis. I'll let you in on a secret. The secret to happiness is perspective.

Sure, it's been said before. I'm sure all of your friends, family, etc. have said it to you. But let's be real. 99% of the problems you're going through? Yeah, someone has already been there and done that. So little things like having to purchase a new car, ending a relationship that isn't really good for you anyway, finding a new place to live, etc. are just that. Little things.

You know you're going to pull through. You know you're going to eventually get done the things that need to be done. You know you're going to eventually get to exactly where you need to be. So why stress it?

Close your eyes, put in the work, and let the benefits roll in. Take the obstacles in stride, and remember it's all balanced. Sometimes, difficulties arise to keep us in check... You'd never know how sweet honey is without knowing the bitterness of vinegar.

Keep smiling!

You don't always get what you want

Life has a funny way of proving to me over and over again, it's not about what I want... ever. In fact, my life has very rarely ever given me what I wanted, just what I need. And maybe that's not such a bad thing. One of these days, I might finally understand how to want the things I need, and not want the things that can be detrimental to my overall wellbeing.

Let me throw this out there. I have decided at the ripe young age of 25, to start my life over. People that claim there is no reset button are just too scared to take the metaphorical dive off the cliff.

Once you cut out all the stuff that is weighing you down, it's a lot easier to keep moving forward.

Stuff. Sounds pretty general right? But let's think about this for a minute. Unhealthy relationships, poor resting habits, poor eating habits... Find the things that you have always hated and let it go. There are lots of things that people have said to me recently that come to mind:

"First you gotta know what you want, then you can go about getting what you want."
"All relationships are just relationships, even marriages."
"There's no reason you shouldn't be a killer."

Find people who are going to be positive forces in your life, and keep them around. It's as simple as that. And with those positive forces, you'll find a sense of peace.

That's probably been the biggest lesson I learned in 2011: I won't really get what I want, but life has a funny way of giving me exactly what I need, when I need it.

So go on, cut out the stuff in your life weighing you down... And feel free to fly. You'll never regret you did it.