20 Lessons I'm Taking Into 2020
It’s 2020- it has been for nearly a month now. I know the first week of this new decade was riddled with new year’s resolutions, promises, and freshly formulated goals. Always one for self reflection, I certainly entered this year with some expectations for myself. I also entered this year having released the hurt, the pain, and the disappointment I often felt in 2019. There were successes and many moments of immense joy, but there were also times when I just wanted the world to open up and swallow me whole so I could forget the less pretty experiences and never have to experience them again.
Yet, I kept going. I didn’t always want to, but I knew I had to.
That’s the thing about life. In all its multi-faceted glory, the wheels just keep turning and there is always a new day for new turns and new choices to be made. I don’t know about you, but I can be so incredibly hard on myself at times. There truly is a fine line between pushing yourself towards greatness and heightened accountability and pushing yourself to your breaking point. Thankfully, I have a strong support system comprised of my family, close friends, and a lovely therapist who reminded me that I was more than enough even in my moments of weakness.
I realized I had this idea of who, what, where, and how I should be by 23 and *insert all other milestones* and it was just way too much pressure to put on myself. I have so much more life to live and, most of all, I have time! There’s this myth that the older you get, you should start automatically having certain things figured out. But I, and many others, will tell you now that such a notion is simply false. How can you know what you haven’t learned? I often had to remind myself that I am young. I am still growing. I am still changing. And, most importantly, I am still learning.
Here are a few lessons I learned in 2019, some of them the hard way. I am sharing them with you because I hope you, too, can find room to embrace your truth and enjoy the endless classroom that life has to offer. It doesn’t matter what “grade” you think you deserve, what matters is that you have the courage to show up each and every day.
These are in no particular order of importance, so here goes!
Time heals all.
Self-doubt is the biggest impediment to success.
Misery loves company so protect your energy at all costs.
Love should never be difficult or painful- it should make you feel free.
Listen to your intuition.
Family is not always by choice, but the best family relationships are based on understanding and forgiveness.
Freeing yourself from anger towards the injustices of the past opens room for more blessings in the future.
Never be embarrassed by your hustle.
Growth is scary, but it’s the best thing ever when you see the result.
God’s love is infinite and shines through in the most unpredictable ways.
Even when you think you should make lemonade from life’s lemons, don’t knock out the option of making a lemon meringue pie instead. It may look harder and take longer to make, but who knows? Maybe that’s what you’ll enjoy more.
Friends come and go, but sisters (biological and chosen) are forever.
When you look good, you feel good.
Mental health is extremely important. New therapists can be nerve-wracking but the help is life-changing.
Only accept the love you deserve (which is probably more than you think you do and often more than you accept).
Nostalgia can be a healing gift.
Choose dreams that scare you. Then close your eyes and just take the leap.
Like what you like and never feel embarrassed for who you are.
There’s always more to come. Always. You attract what you put out so send out gratitude and get ready to receive joy.
Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.
What were your biggest lessons from 2019? What are you doing differently in 2020, or what are you going to keep doing? Let me know in the comments below!
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