I felt annoyed earlier reading status after status of "new year, new me", "bye 2014, 2015 be good to me." But then I realized how vital it is to reflect on the past year. New beginnings are bittersweet, but exciting. Without a doubt, 2014 has been a great year - and I'm sad to see it go. However, I'm excited to venture into 2015 and continue to grow personally and professionally.
Last year I took the time to jot down the 80 things I had learned in 2013. I forgot about this list until a few minutes ago, and truly loved reading it again. So many of these lessons are still true, and I'm thankful I've had the opportunity to learn them. I wanted to continue this tradtion to really think about this past year and what I've learned from it.
1. Follow your heart. Seriously. Your heart will lead you exactly where you need to go.
2. Sometimes you end up where you need to be, not where you'd thought you'd be.
3. It's okay to be different. Just because you're 22 doesn't you have to follow the crowd.
4. Enjoy your youth, but don't use it as an excuse to not follow your dreams.
5. The people you say you can't are scared that you will.
6. Everything boils down to priorities.
7. If you ever have to question someone's feelings for you, it is NOT worth it.
8. You get what you settle for. Lack of boundaries creates a lack of respect.
9. Don't settle. Know your worth.
10. Drive the speed limit. It only took me getting pulled over 3 times to learn this...kinda.
11. You can't rush something you want to last forever.
12. "Not my circus, Not my monkeys" - don't bother yourself with problems that don't concern you.
13. People aren't against you, but they live for themselves. People will screw you over the first chance they get.
14. Sensitivity doesn't make you weak, it just means you have a big heart.
15. It is okay to cut off people who poisson your spirit. It doesn't make you a bad person to know what you deserve.
16. Stay Humble, Work Hard, Be Kind.
17. Realize and accept that some people won't be around forever. Hug them that much tighter.
18. Rocky roads will reveal someone's true character.
19. Someone who feels appreciated will always do more than expected.
20. Don't chase people. Do you. The people who are meant to be in your life will come and stay.
21. But with that being said, don't forget to show appreciation to those who support and value you.
22. Opportunity shouldn't determine your loyalty.
23. "Sometimes your light attracts moths and your warmth attracts parasites. Protect your space and energy."
24. Some see a weed, some see a wish. Change the way you look at things, and the things you look at change.
25. Anything you have to manipulate to get is rarely yours to keep.
26. 6+3=9 but so does 5+4.
27. Hating someone makes them important. Forgiving them makes them obsolete.
28. You don't need religion to have morals.
29. It's not about what size you wear, but how you wear your size.
30. Don't complain about something you're not willing to change.
31. If it doesn't matter, get rid of it. If you can't get rid of it, it matters.
32. If you round out your edges, you'll lose your edge.
33. Be Soft. Don't let the word make you hard.
34. Be humble. You may be wrong.
35. Someone who truly values you will respect your boundaries.
36. Quality over quantity. This goes for friends, purses and more.
37. Be open minded, expose yourself to new things.
38. Everyone has the right to be happy, even if you don't agree with what makes them happy.
39. Most bad behavior comes from insecurity.
40. Never hope for it more than you work for it.
41. Life isn't about what you gain, its about what you give.
42. Just because you're not being valued doesn't mean you're not valuable.
43. Nothing is a waste of time if you learned something.
44. Spend less than you have and you'll always be wealthy.
45. Never ruin an apology with an excuse.
46. You don't have to say I love you to say I love you.
47. Indecision is a decision.
48. Loyalty is all or nothing. You can't be loyal only when it suits you.
49. Say what you mean but don't say it mean.
50. Don't let anyone make you feel like you have to do something for them.
51. Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have.
52. It is perfectly okay to treat yourself every once in a while.
53. Love is an action verb.
54. A woman's mindset will raise your children, not her body or her looks.
55. You wouldn't be scared of the past repeating itself if you felt you truly learned something from it.
56. If you don't ask, the answer is always no.
57. If they do it often, it isn't a mistake - it's their behavior.
58. There's always room to be a better person. Always.
59. Not everyone who smiles at you is a friend.
60. Trust is everything.
61. Pulling someone down will never help you reach the top.
62. Don't stop learning outside of the classroom.
63. Treat everyday like an interview.
64. The greatest gift you can give someone is the space to be his or herself without the threat of you leaving.
65. Don't dance with the devil and wonder why you're in hell.
