A couple of years ago, I decided to embark on a journey of self-discovery in order to heal from my past. But, as I healed past wounds, I also realized and embraced the fact that there were still many things I needed to work on.
That said, this year has been life-altering, and it’s only the beginning! I’ve come to learn that the journey only ends when God says it does. So, while I’m here, on earth, I’m going to enjoy the ride and, although it’ll be hard and obstacles will come, I’m hoping that I’ll be able to see the positive in any and every situation that comes my way.
The past 12 months have taught me so much about life and what it means to truly live. So, without further ado, here are the top 10 lessons I’ve learned in 2016.
1. Self-care – I learned that taking care of myself is not optional. It’s mandatory, because for me to do all the things I desire to do in life, my health needs to be in the right place.
2. The art of letting go – I’ve learned to let go of the people/things who were more of a stress in my life, than a blessing. I’ve learned to let go of the petty disagreements and most of all, to let go of what can’t be controlled. Because life is short, and no one really knows when’s our date with God.
3. Facing my fear – I also learned that the thing that scares me the most is precisely the thing I should be doing. So, in 2017, I’ll be pushing myself to try the things that scare me and make me nervous!
4. Self-compassion – Over the course of this year, I learned to be less hard on myself. I give everything my best shot, I put in all my effort, but if my best isn’t good enough, I simply continue to live my life.
5. Forgiveness – I learned that being able to forgive – myself and others – helps to keep the soul healthy. So I’m learning how to forgive quickly, and move on if I need to.
6. Men in relationships – Although I’m currently single, I’m now open to being in a relationship. I learned not to force any man to want me, and to just allow it to happen when it’s time. I also learned that despite all the negative labels we have for men – cheaters – waste man – sometimes they’re just scared to commit. Unlike women who’ve learned to cope with, and move past, heartbreak, men sometimes lack the skills needed to mend their broken hearts. As such, until they completely feel like you’re the one for them, they cannot commit (this is mainly for the men who know how much they have to offer).
7. To depend on God – This has been my biggest lesson this year, I learned more about faith and having faith when it pertains to direction in my life. I learned the power of prayer, and that sometimes prayers aren’t always answered according to my time, but in God’s time. I also learned to build my own relationship with God, and as much as I’m not an everyday going church woman, I’m most definitely learning about a higher power.
8. Nobody’s perfect – I learned that we’re all a little broken and none of us is perfect. We’re all born sinners, so I need to tread lightly when dealing with certain people. As much as I’m working towards becoming whole, not everyone around me is striving for that same thing. We all have our own struggles. But the truth is: I’m still not completely at a place where people can’t get on my nerves from time to time, and some people can really get on my nerves. So I’ve learned to deal with the people that I can, for now. I found my balance when it comes to people and it’s feeling good!
9. Doing what I love – This year I really learned what’s important to my life, and it’s not popularity or material things. Instead, it’s about leaving my footprints in the sand. It’s about spending my days with the people I love, and doing the things that I love to do. And, it’s about me remembering to never take anything for granted. Of course I want to live a fabulous life (like who doesn’t, really), but only if it’s fabulous doing something I love, and it will be!
10. Life of my own party – Even though I only recently came to this realization, I learned to be the life of the party in my own life and to be the source of my own happiness because it definitely won’t come from another person!
From my journey to you.
Keemah.G