8 Lessons 2016 taught me
I created this list of 8 lessons I learned this year to reflect on
2016 and welcome 2017. Reflection is key to progress.
We all heard this one before, and it couldn't have been realer for me this year. As 2015 ended, I was stuck in a cycle, obsessing over a particular situation and that got me nowhere. Letting go of what was no longer serving me made room for new experiences. As much as we try control every aspect of our lives, we cannot. Sometimes you really just have to let go and let God and focus on what you can control. Some endings are new beginnings. I know it's not always easy to let go and trust that things will be alright, but that's where faith comes into play. And if we want peace of mind, this is what we must learn to do.
2. It's OK to be used, to an extent
Sometimes in life you're blessed to bless others. It's not always about us and what we have going on, because sometimes, our issues just aren't that deep. And being "used" isn't always a bad thing. The problem is in blindly expecting to get something more out of a situation or person than we can in that moment. If you give, you should do so without expecting to get anything in return – if this is the kind of person you pride yourself on being.
Towards the end of this year, I realized I gained a lot more from a person I thought I was giving so much to. Nothing compares to having someone in your life who loves you as you are, but doesn't hold their tongue on telling you where you can improve. Nothing compares to having someone who unknowingly and gently holds a mirror up in front of you for you to correct things about yourself that even you are uncomfortable with. And more importantly, nothing compares to being there for someone. However, discernment goes a long way and with experience we all get better at it. We still have to protect our blessings.
Got for it, put yourself first and see how it feels. That was my mantra this year, but it was a balancing act. I had to graduate to this level and it took a lot for me accept and follow through with. This year I splurged on myself, took a vacation and more recently, brought myself a camera that I have been wanting for a long time. This lesson common and we sometimes have to revisit it every blue moon, but it still hits. There are moments when we lack the energy to say "yes" to someone and please ourselves at the same time. And that's OK. Do what you can and don't stress over what you can't do for someone at that moment. Anyone who truly cares about you will understand.
Sometimes it really is all in your head. You wouldn't believe how many times I had to tell myself this. It's a reoccurring lesson. Introverts, like myself, have an especially hard time with this one. And there's nothing wrong with living in your head from time to time, it can help keep you on point and eliminate distractions. It becomes a problem when it's self-destructive. This one pretty much speaks for itself.
How can you truly operate from your higher self if you don’t trust your
natural ability to make decisions? You must trust that voice that
you worked so hard to find. If you believe in God, the laws of the Universe or
a Higher Power, if you worked hard for years to build yourself up, to stand for
something, if you did the work, then why don’t you accept the fruits of your
labor? If it takes time to build trust with others, then why don't you trust
yourself?
We all think we trust ourselves until we are put to the test of taking a necessary risk. Despite knowing deep down inside that we're prepared to take the risk, we let our fear of failure hold us back. I'm speaking from experience. We’ve all felt a blow to our confidence at some point in life, but it serves a purpose. Only you can get the best out of yourself. Trust the little signs you get, trust that first thought. And if you know you’ve done the work, trust that you are equipped to handle anything that comes your way. Because if you don't act on your own hunches, someone else will fulfill the role you're unwilling to and you'll feel defeated in the process. I also learned that sometimes failing to address situations head-on can cause more problems. Just remember:
Strolling down my timeline is by far the least productive thing I've done this year– I liked over 30,000 things on Facebook. Don't get me wrong, social media has its place and can be very beneficial. If you have goals, making social media work for you is key. Whether you are promoting a business or staying in the loop concerning an area of interest, make social media work for you, literally.
No doubt, it's great to socialize with like-minded people with whom you otherwise may not have the opportunity to. Conversely, social media may keep people in your life who shouldn't be and can create unnecessary drama. I'm usually a drama free person, but no matter how much we all try to escape the trap of pointless posting and sharing, we all fall into that rabbit hole every now and then. So, make social media work for you or you'll probably be wasting precious time. I'm still trying to break the habit (addiction) and find balance in the world of social media.
This was a 'listen when the Universe is talking' type of year for me, and I can only imagine how many other people may feel this way. It seems that 2016 was the year where lessons come full circle for a lot of us. This year, I leaned that it's extremely important to take care of our mental, spiritual and physical health. (I always thought about this concept, but rarely practiced it.) Whether that means eating healthy foods, exercising or dedicating a day or two out of the week to pamper yourself or do something you love, it can make a huge difference. Get yourself some detoxifying bath salts and run yourself a warm bath, light some candles, listen to your favorite songs and just zone out. Our bodies need and deserve balance, so do what helps to keep you balanced and at your best. This year I learned that self-love goes a very long way. We're no good to anyone else if we aren't any good to ourselves. This was a cool lesson I actually implemented this year.
On a deeper level, as the veil lifts, I am elated to say I became aware of my spiritual vibrations this year. Seeing repetitive number sequences brought it to my attention. At first it scared me, and honestly some times it still does because I don't fully understand what it means and I know there's wickedness in high spiritual places. But most times it provides comfort for me and helps me have faith in myself. The messages that are communicated through these occurrences (seeing 111, 222, 333, 444, 555) have shown me that my thoughts are often aligned with the Universal energy and that I have God's help in my life. I realized I have nothing to fear because I have a good heart and I only want to do great things here. I was sent here to be a light in this world. That is something I wholeheartedly believe. I thank the Most High for giving me purpose. We all have a reason for being here.
Life is yours for the taking. I learned that, for the most part, we are in control of our interactions and experiences with others. If someone isn't treating you the way you deserve to be treated, cut them off. Go after what you deserve and do so unapologetically. Don't settle, but do try to give people a chance. Again, sometimes it's not about what a person can offer you but what you can offer them, because in some cases, you become the best version of yourself in the process. This one is also self-explanatory. Look for the silver lining in unfavorable circumstances and follow your heart, but also realize that the heart alone can make foolish decisions.
1. Let
go and let God
We all heard this one before, and it couldn't have been realer for me this year. As 2015 ended, I was stuck in a cycle, obsessing over a particular situation and that got me nowhere. Letting go of what was no longer serving me made room for new experiences. As much as we try control every aspect of our lives, we cannot. Sometimes you really just have to let go and let God and focus on what you can control. Some endings are new beginnings. I know it's not always easy to let go and trust that things will be alright, but that's where faith comes into play. And if we want peace of mind, this is what we must learn to do.
2. It's OK to be used, to an extent
Sometimes in life you're blessed to bless others. It's not always about us and what we have going on, because sometimes, our issues just aren't that deep. And being "used" isn't always a bad thing. The problem is in blindly expecting to get something more out of a situation or person than we can in that moment. If you give, you should do so without expecting to get anything in return – if this is the kind of person you pride yourself on being.
Towards the end of this year, I realized I gained a lot more from a person I thought I was giving so much to. Nothing compares to having someone in your life who loves you as you are, but doesn't hold their tongue on telling you where you can improve. Nothing compares to having someone who unknowingly and gently holds a mirror up in front of you for you to correct things about yourself that even you are uncomfortable with. And more importantly, nothing compares to being there for someone. However, discernment goes a long way and with experience we all get better at it. We still have to protect our blessings.
3. Saying
NO doesn't make you evil, neither does putting yourself first
Got for it, put yourself first and see how it feels. That was my mantra this year, but it was a balancing act. I had to graduate to this level and it took a lot for me accept and follow through with. This year I splurged on myself, took a vacation and more recently, brought myself a camera that I have been wanting for a long time. This lesson common and we sometimes have to revisit it every blue moon, but it still hits. There are moments when we lack the energy to say "yes" to someone and please ourselves at the same time. And that's OK. Do what you can and don't stress over what you can't do for someone at that moment. Anyone who truly cares about you will understand.
4. Get out your head and live
Sometimes it really is all in your head. You wouldn't believe how many times I had to tell myself this. It's a reoccurring lesson. Introverts, like myself, have an especially hard time with this one. And there's nothing wrong with living in your head from time to time, it can help keep you on point and eliminate distractions. It becomes a problem when it's self-destructive. This one pretty much speaks for itself.
5. Follow
your intuition and trust yourself
We all think we trust ourselves until we are put to the test of taking a necessary risk. Despite knowing deep down inside that we're prepared to take the risk, we let our fear of failure hold us back. I'm speaking from experience. We’ve all felt a blow to our confidence at some point in life, but it serves a purpose. Only you can get the best out of yourself. Trust the little signs you get, trust that first thought. And if you know you’ve done the work, trust that you are equipped to handle anything that comes your way. Because if you don't act on your own hunches, someone else will fulfill the role you're unwilling to and you'll feel defeated in the process. I also learned that sometimes failing to address situations head-on can cause more problems. Just remember:
6. Social
media is a waste of time, unless it's working for you
Strolling down my timeline is by far the least productive thing I've done this year– I liked over 30,000 things on Facebook. Don't get me wrong, social media has its place and can be very beneficial. If you have goals, making social media work for you is key. Whether you are promoting a business or staying in the loop concerning an area of interest, make social media work for you, literally.
No doubt, it's great to socialize with like-minded people with whom you otherwise may not have the opportunity to. Conversely, social media may keep people in your life who shouldn't be and can create unnecessary drama. I'm usually a drama free person, but no matter how much we all try to escape the trap of pointless posting and sharing, we all fall into that rabbit hole every now and then. So, make social media work for you or you'll probably be wasting precious time. I'm still trying to break the habit (addiction) and find balance in the world of social media.
7. Take
care of your body, mind and soul
This was a 'listen when the Universe is talking' type of year for me, and I can only imagine how many other people may feel this way. It seems that 2016 was the year where lessons come full circle for a lot of us. This year, I leaned that it's extremely important to take care of our mental, spiritual and physical health. (I always thought about this concept, but rarely practiced it.) Whether that means eating healthy foods, exercising or dedicating a day or two out of the week to pamper yourself or do something you love, it can make a huge difference. Get yourself some detoxifying bath salts and run yourself a warm bath, light some candles, listen to your favorite songs and just zone out. Our bodies need and deserve balance, so do what helps to keep you balanced and at your best. This year I learned that self-love goes a very long way. We're no good to anyone else if we aren't any good to ourselves. This was a cool lesson I actually implemented this year.
On a deeper level, as the veil lifts, I am elated to say I became aware of my spiritual vibrations this year. Seeing repetitive number sequences brought it to my attention. At first it scared me, and honestly some times it still does because I don't fully understand what it means and I know there's wickedness in high spiritual places. But most times it provides comfort for me and helps me have faith in myself. The messages that are communicated through these occurrences (seeing 111, 222, 333, 444, 555) have shown me that my thoughts are often aligned with the Universal energy and that I have God's help in my life. I realized I have nothing to fear because I have a good heart and I only want to do great things here. I was sent here to be a light in this world. That is something I wholeheartedly believe. I thank the Most High for giving me purpose. We all have a reason for being here.
8. Make
the best of it or do something new
Life is yours for the taking. I learned that, for the most part, we are in control of our interactions and experiences with others. If someone isn't treating you the way you deserve to be treated, cut them off. Go after what you deserve and do so unapologetically. Don't settle, but do try to give people a chance. Again, sometimes it's not about what a person can offer you but what you can offer them, because in some cases, you become the best version of yourself in the process. This one is also self-explanatory. Look for the silver lining in unfavorable circumstances and follow your heart, but also realize that the heart alone can make foolish decisions.
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