15 Things I Learned in 2015
- Life is not about being fearless. No matter how brave someone is, we all have fears, and it shouldn’t be any other way. It’s not about living with no fear, it’s about not letting fear control you.
- Not everyone who enters your life will be there forever, but be sure to still thank the universe for allowing their soul to stop by anyway.
- Care for others, but in the process, also care for yourself.
- While it is important to care for others, there comes a time where you must let go of the toxic people in your life. You do not need to stay with people who take you and leave you empty. It is okay to remove yourself from people who hurt your soul. It is okay to isolate yourself from people who drain your spirit. It is okay.
- Letting go isn’t about forgetting about your past or the people associated with your past. No matter how hard you try, you’re not going to forget. To let go is to allow yourself to overcome experiences and move on.
- Stop waiting for the perfect time to change. If everyone waited until they were ready to change, nothing would ever happen. The ugly truth that people seldom mention is how painful it is to change. Why? Sometimes you end up comfortable in chaos, maybe you’re so used to living a toxic lifestyle that anything else is unknown territory, and honestly, change can be terrifying because it’s retraining your thoughts and behaviors, but nothing is worse than living with the wrath of constant negativity. Throw yourself into the unknown, do what you’re not used to, and be action oriented. It’s time to change.
- Do not allow anyone to put you down for what you’re passionate about. Devote your time to music, painting, dancing, acting, or whatever else makes your soul thrive. Passion may be one of the most important things because without passion, you can’t light up the world, and everyone deserves to show the world how brightly they can shine.
- Everyday of your life is not meant to be spectacular, but that’s okay. Without pain, we would never truly know joy. It’s about balance and making your path your own.
- The little things are more valuable than you realize. Don’t forget about sunsets, sunrises, the cold side of the pillow, wearing fuzzy socks, the smell of new books, the smell of rain, finding money in your pockets, warm and fresh clothes out of the dryer, and all of the other things that make life slightly better. It’s all about the little things.
- Do not let people who hurt you make you bitter. Not everyone is out to hurt you and the world is still a beautiful place, but you’re never going to experience that if you build walls that no one can destroy, and push everyone away.
- You are the only one who can truly save yourself, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have people hand you the weapons and armor to fight, or have people aid your wounds. Bottling everything up is dangerous and there is nothing wrong with going to people to vent or confide in.
- Mistakes, setbacks, and/or relapses are okay. They show you are human. Every step is a victory and every fall is a lesson. Either way, small progress is still progress.
- Never stop chasing after everything you dream of and strive for, no matter how big of a dream it is. There is a first for everything. Every person who succeeded at what they strived for kept going once they were told they can’t do it, whether that doubt came from themselves or others.
- The people who you can laugh and hang out with, but also trust and let them see the darkest parts of your mind are extremely important. Surround yourself with those people.
- Every human has their own individual and unique thoughts, feelings, ideas, appearances, and views. Do not let any thought, any feeling, any person, any habit, any addiction, any physical illness, any mental illness, or absolutely ANYTHING else take that away from you. Don’t let anything take your life and beautiful existence away.