I would like to shed some light on my birthday by sharing some of the lessons that I have learned in my 32 years on this planet. This year has been a pivotal one for me, and I figure I have accelerated my growth exponentially as a human being! Although many of the lessons below are things I have come to learn and understand, just know that we are always growing, always learning and need to constantly be reminded of the same lessons over and over.
I may be going a little deep here and you will see sides of me that I haven’t yet expressed on my blog. I hope you get something out of these lessons, as my wisdom in the years has opened up my eyes immensely. Many of them I am still working on, but awareness is always the first step.
The order below is completely random
1) You don’t have to be right – It is okay to be wrong. In fact it can be quite eye opening when you realize you are wrong. You are also beyond enlightened when you can accept that you are wrong. And what’s even better is it may even make the one who is “right” smile 🙂
2) You can’t do everything yourself – I certainly have learned this one over the years being someone who likes to do everything themselves! The power of a team is truly the biggest asset to anyone’s life and anyone’s business. If you want to grow, get a team!
3) Give up control – It’s nice to be in the driver’s seat all the time, but the passenger’s seat is quite lovely as well.
4) Learn to let go – Holding on to things is dangerous and can clutter the mind and your physical space. This is a hard one for me, as I get very attached to both tangible items, as well as concepts and ideas. Even though this one is a struggle for me, I plan to keep working on it.
5) Appreciate where you are at – Stop for a moment and just appreciate that moment that you are in right now. Thinking ahead or thinking back doesn’t get you anywhere. Enjoy the process and love where you are today.
6) The power of consistent exercise – This is a huge part of my well being both physically and mentally. Keeping in shape not only keeps me focused but helps my self-esteem, energy and overall vitality. Find something you like, and do it consistently!
7) It’s the little things in life that matter – Find those things, whatever they are from petting your dog to making the best brownies, and savour every bit of it. Because the little things help to offset the big things.
8) The importance of eating clean – When you eat clean, you feel clean. To me this means a plant based, unprocessed whole food diet. I have been eating this way for almost 16 of my 32 years and the reason why people tell me I look 26 is for this reason alone!
9) Listen, really listen – The more you listen, the more you will be heard. Be that person that can look into the eyes of who you are talking with and listen. Making a real connection with someone is the greatest gift you can give.
10) The art of compassion – I never really understood what this meant in its true sense until this year. When you can get into someone else’s shoes and see life through their eyes, then you get perspective. Not everything can be understood from your point of view. Feel their pain, understand their behavior, get in touch with who they really are.
11) Try to understand, even when you can’t understand – Enough said.
12) Go with your gut – Your gut always knows and will guide you in the right direction. This has been my compass for most of my life’s decisions. When I defy it, it always comes back to get me or at least let me know that I have made the “wrong” decision.
13) Push for what you want – Being passive doesn’t get you anywhere. Be assertive and strive for what you really want. When you persist, you get everything you want and sometimes even more.
14) The value of good friends – Make good friends and keep good friends. As you get older you realize who the real ones are and who will stick around and support you through your toughest times. I am so grateful that I have the most amazing friends that love me and who I love dearly. Looking forward to maintaining my friendships for years to come, while constantly developing new ones.
15) To let people love me – This sounds like a silly one, but sometimes it is overwhelming to have so much love coming at you. It’s all fabulous and wonderful, but if you don’t or can’t accept people’s love then it is wasted. So I am constantly learning how to embrace love and give it back in return.
16) How to love – The only real answer to this one is that you have to love yourself first before you can love anyone else. This is probably the most important lesson I have learned!
17) No one knows you better than you – YOU and only YOU will always know better, no matter how much advice you get, how many people you talk to. Your own mind, body and spirit will always know what is best for YOU.
18) Plants are for everyone – Everyone can eat plants, no matter what you love to eat and what your philosophies are. People thrive off eating plants! They lose weight, gain more energy and feel better. So why don’ t you jump on this train with me and eat more plants!
19) The gift of being grateful – Gratitude is a beautiful thing and it truly is a gift. To be able to appreciate and be thankful for all the things that you have, that you do, that you want to do, be sure to give thanks. Keep a journal or say it out loud. THANK YOU!
20) Trust your own uniqueness – Be who you are. Own the fact that you are like no one else. You are the only YOU that there is and ever will be in this universe. So don’t copy, don’t follow, don’t want to be anything but yourself. Start a trend, wear those gold pants, and paint your hair pink. Be you!
21) Going against the grain is okay– I have always found for the majority of my life that as many others were going in one direction, I was going another. Not out of spite or to prove a point, but because it felt right. There is nothing wrong with that even though at times I questioned it. I now realize that it is okay to march to your own drum.
22) It’s okay to be last – Life is not a race and there is no pre-determined order that you need to do things. I have always noticed that I tend to do things last or later than other people in my life. That is okay, if you are constantly trying to keep up with the crowd you lose out on the now. Sometimes those who finish last always win. I have come to learn this.
23) Accept compliments – This is one of the hardest things that I have learned how to do. It has always been so hard for me to hear nice things about myself like “your beautiful”or ” you look great” – because I never believed it, so I didn’t know how to respond. Now that I am comfortable in my own skin I can welcome compliments with ease.
24) Give compliments – There is nothing that people love more than to hear that they are great, look great & do great. This is still a challenge for me and I will keep working on it. Once you start, it feels good to truly tell people what you are thinking – as long as it’s nice!
25) Passion is more valuable than money – Love what you do and the money will come. When you focus on the money your heart is never truly in it.
26) Time alone is time well spent – Be independent! Doing your own thing on your own time is a beautiful thing. Take advantage of this time, do things for you, because these little morsels all add up and keep you grounded. I love spending time alone reading, journaling, exercising, writing or eating. Embrace it and enjoy your own company. And I know that I may not have this luxury in later years when my kids are around!
27) Go away, mentally and physically – Take a trip! In a physical sense for a little getaway to somewhere special. I did this earlier this year to Canyon Ranch and it was the best decision. Or if you can’t physically get away, take a trip in your head. Sit down, close your eyes and imagine being far away or somewhere happy & peaceful. This is a much cheaper and faster way to get there. When you get back, everything seems just a little bit better.
28) Don’t take life so seriously – I am extremely guilty of this. I have been told by my father, past friendships and relationships that I have taken life too seriously, even from a young age. Life shouldn’t be so serious. Keep that “kid” inside you always, laugh until it hurts, do silly things and keep a light heart.
29) It’s okay to not know – I am someone who used to love to plan every last detail to the dot. Now I am in a place that I do not know what tomorrow looks like and that is okay. Spontaneity is good once in a while. You can’t plan everything, because there are times when no matter how good your plans are, they don’t always happen. So go with the flow, and remember you don’t have to know, what you don’t know.
30) How to trust the universe – The universe has been my guiding light the last few years. When I want to figure something out or know the answer, I just hand it up and let the universe guide me. This may sound really out there and to be honest I don’t know how it works, but I promise it does. Trust the universe, it always has a way of making things work out for the best.
31) It’s my life and I can cry if I want to! – Cry if you want to. Feel your feelings, feel your emotions. Don’t hold them in. By holding them in it can hurt even more and cause all kinds of other imbalances. If you can’t face your emotions then you will never be able to cope and move forward. So let it out, cry away if you need to, laugh out loud and be raw in any moment.
32) Accept yourself – Accepting myself as I am is the best lesson of all. This means accepting all of my features, my faults, the things I want to change or be better at. It’s important to accept and love yourself just the way you are.
Lessons to be learned in the coming years….
Patience.
Slow down, don’t move too fast.
Dropping your shoulders, and relaxing.
