Personally, this year, I became more of who I am meant to be. Not because I reached more goals, or achieved a new level of success, or found more love in my life. Those things happened, but they were by-products of me being authentic.
" This year was more about letting go of who I thought I needed to be in order to allow the person I am to shine through. "
Here are 15 things I learned this year that helped me become more fully myself:
1. Sometimes we have to release habits or beliefs that hold us back in order to create something new.
2. I learned how to let go with more grace — to stop thinking that I have to have it all figured out in order to take the step right in front of me.
3. Dreams don't always looks the way we imagined once they are made manifest.
4. I learned the power of being fully present, alive, and focused in the now.
5. Getting what you want isn't always what you need.
6. The heart takes time to heal. Everyone has their own way of grieving and moving on, but time is the only foolproof remedy for a broken heart.
7. I relearned that not everyone will like me, but I (still) don’t need others to like me for me to like myself.
8. Other people are never judging me the way I judge myself. My perceptions will always shape my reality.
9. Life is a balancing act of holding on and letting go, and how my life feels is always more important than how it looks.
10. My heart knows how I should trust, but sometimes my head has wisdom my heart has yet to discover. Your feelings will always reveal the truth.
11. Friendship and family are the most important parts of our journey of life, for without them we would not be able to express unconditional love.
12. Everything is a process — learning how to love myself, inviting more love into my life, surrendering to what is, and learning how to accept where I am instead of thinking I need to be somewhere else is all a big process that is part of the journey that is life.
13. There is no destination. Each day is the real reward.
14. There is no magic bullet; there are no overnight fixes or solutions. If it seems too good to be true, it is.
15. Being thankful for everything is the fastest way to feel better.
Here’s to a happy New Year and creating a beautiful life.
What have you learned this year? I’d love to hear in the comments.
By Shannon Kaiser | Mind Body Green
