The List – Lessons from 2014

As the end of the first month of a new year arrives and the second month begins,  I thought it fitting to look back at last year, a time all but forgotten and we swiftly move ahead into 2015. Over the course of last year, which began as a terrible year for me and ended with me beginning the journey of self discovery and self-love and wonder, what have I really learnt from 2014 that I can carry with me during 2015 and help me to live my life more fully.

Lessons from 2014

Never take loved ones for granted. We never know how much longer they will be with us. My gran died last year, she had been suffering with emphysema for a long time and her quality of life was seriously low. It was a blessing to think that her suffering would be over but it still hit us hard and my mother was obviously broken-hearted. It made me think of all the stories she will never be able to share with me. All the recipes that died with her and the laughter at listening to her retell the adventures of her youth. It’s always hard to lose the people you love, even if you know it’s for the best.

Do something you really love, not just something that pays a cheque. I thought building my CV was all that mattered in helping my career but soon enough, I discovered that doing a job every day just so that one day you can be happy isn’t always enough. You need to learn to live for the now. Live fully for today. Not in preparation for one day.

Don’t let others define you. When I stood up against injustices and was called a trouble maker along with other insulting titles by a Business Manager who felt threatened after not doing her job, I realised it wasn’t me, it was definitely them and that it was time for me to move along. I know myself and I know my personality and I’m not prepared to have other people assign labels to me that I don’t agree with. After taking one week to think about it I decided that I don’t love the job enough to stick around and work with people who are just looking for the next person to blame. People who manage with a whip and blame everyone else when things don’t go the way they are supposed to.

Follow your heart. After leaving my job, I came up with a plan to truly follow my heart. Turns out when you’re really passionate about something and you feel very strongly towards the outcome of that thing, work doesn’t seem like a burden.

Feel the fear and do it anyway. I am working towards getting my business off the ground. It is terrifying and I am constantly living in fear that I don’t have what it takes but I feel at peace when I get into bed at the end of the day knowing that I am doing this for me and it’s something that I love.

Compromise. Be considerate of those around you.  Sometimes you have to give a little to get a little.

Get someone reliable to look after your pets while you’re away. I can’t emphasise this more. My pets are my children and being away for two weeks was hell. It really gives you peace of mind to know that your fur babies are at home with someone who loves them.

You can always find something good out of every awful situation. Just keep looking till you find that positive angle.

Don’t waste time on people who take you for granted. The world is full of people that we connect with in numerous ways. Any of those people can bring something to your life. Some of them bring positive things and some negative. learn to tell the difference between the two and let go of those who don’t contribute positively into your universe.

Be more accepting of yourself and patient with others. Everyone is just trying to get by. Some are better at it than others but the journey is complicated for all of us. Accept that people do things in different ways and they react differently to situations. There is more dignity is behaving graciously than causing a scene. Accept that their way works for them but if it doesn’t work for you, then choose to not have them in your universe.

These aren’t meant to direct the way you live your life, they are points of guidance for a happy life. This is just what I have learnt in my own life over the course of the last year. 2014 was difficult and ended with our car being stolen right outside our house while we were home. Turns out the good thing is all they took was the car, it could have been much worse. My life is on the right track and I’m finally sleeping through the night. My back has stopped knotting up and I know that I’m heading in the right direction with my career. As hard as this past year has been, 2015 is going to be filled with positivity and greatness. I just know it.