5 Lessons I Learned in 2023

Hello everyone!

Wow, I can't believe this year is finally coming to an end. If you're reading this, clap for yourself for making it this far; some of our loved ones/friends didn't- may they rest in peace.

With that being said, to the 2023 survivors, I want to share some things I learned this year. I hope these tips and tricks may be helpful to at least one person out there.

HERE WE GO!!!

#1: IT'S OKAY IF THINGS DON'T GO YOUR WAY

There are so many times, in the past, amnd especially, this year when I I didn't get something I wanted for example, admission, a job offer, etc and in hindsight, they it was for the best that I didn't get those things. Seeing how the rest of the year played out, it was best that I didn't get that job that I applied for or that I gain admission into a particualr program/school.

#2: YOU HAVE TO MAKE YOU HAPPY

This "people-pleasing" crap means nothing. It doesn't matter what you do or what you say, people will always have something to say. At the end of the day, as long as what you are doing is LEGAL and it makes you happy that is all that should matter. If you comfortably go to sleep at night with a smile on your face, if you are proud of the person in the mirror, that is all that matters.

#3: IT'S OKAY TO LET PEOPLE GO.

I don't know about you all but I feel like we have friends who are for certain seasons or phases of our lives. That's okay. Letting a friend go doesn't always have to mean that there wes beef or a very bad falling out between you two, it could simply mean the two of you aren't compatible anymore.

THIS IS LIFE.

This is the harsh reality of life. As you get older, your connection with people, especially friends may start to get weaker and then one day, there is no connection; and then one day you reconnect- similar to a phone.

#4: SLOW DOWN

I've been in a rush to do so many things that didn't require me to rush. There are so many times where I've been in a rush and I didn't move anywhere. Do you ever feel like you're doing something but you're really not making moves?

A lot of times this year, I did a lot of this...

Instead of this...

Although moving like a track star would be amazing, sometimes moving like a turtle may be just what you need. When you're in a rush, the journey becomes a blur and you realize you didn't have fun. When you've reached your goal, now what?

It's okay to slow down. Take some time to enjoy the scenery on the road. Make some friends. Take your time. What is the rush? Enjoy the journey and have fun. It's not everytime, 'Fast & Furious.'

The next time you place a deadline on something, ask yourself why? Don't get me wrong, deadlines are important for obvious reasons, but why are you giving XYZ a deadline? In my case, there are several times in the past when I told myslef I would lose x amount of weight within x amount of time. If I met that goal, cool. If not, not, okay. The main question is, "I was rushing for what reason?" I really had no reason because- for those of you who are gym heads- you know that fitness and health is a lifelong comittment; there are several up's and down's- so what is the rush?

#5: SMILE

In the long run, none of the things you're upset/worried about really matter. I get it, some days there are things that may put a dent in your day but you shouldn't let that one bad event set the mood for the rest of the day. Have fun. Life is can seem long and then one day you wake up and your realize that chrismas is right around the corner and then you ask yourself,

"Did I really live this year?"

Obviously you're alive and you're breathing- that's what we want- but did you really live. And no, every day doesn't need to be an adventure; I'm not asking you to be Dora The Explorer. But, you should be able to look back at a few highlights from your year and smile because you know you had a great time.

CLOSING

Well that's all folks. I hope to see you all in the new year! I wish you all enjoy the holidays. Have fun with your family and, or, your friends.

I truly do hope that this list was helpful to at least one person. I hope you all enjoyed this blog post.

Have a wonderful day! God bless. Love y'all!