Tuesday, December 30, 2014
14 Things I Learned in 2014
What a year 2014 has been. Between overcoming two major health problems, the transition from high school to college, moving into my own apartment, and a long term relationship coming to an end, it’s been a life changing, whirlwind of a year to say the least. I’ve learned so much throughout it, however, about myself, others, and just life in general. I thought it would be interesting to make a list of just a few things I’ve discovered this year.
- Not everyone is going to care as much as you do, and that’s okay. For me, I think this was the most important one. I’ve struggled for a long time about the effort other people put into relationships and friendships versus my own. I’m a passionate person, and give 100% in anything that I do. I didn’t quite understand why everyone else didn’t live their lives the same way. Everyone is different though, and everyone contributes to this world in their own special way. We have compassionate people, strong people, smart people, etc. Life needs balance.
- Hating a person won’t make what they did to you go away. Hate is such a strong emotion that has an awful tendency of bringing people down. For a long time this year, I allowed myself to become very brought down by hatred. Then I decided to put that energy into other things, and it has given me a much more positive and healthy mindset. Sometimes things happen that are out of your control. People are going to hurt you. Pain is inevitable in this life, but happiness is as well. Don’t forget that.
- It’s easy to think happy thoughts. I’ve noticed how easy it is to train your mind to think a certain way. The only thing preventing happiness is your own misery. You can dwell on something, or you can use it to your advantage and better yourself as a person along the way. It’s all up to you.
- It’s okay, and sometimes better, to be alone. You can’t expect a person to fully love you until you can love yourself, and you must learn that you cannot love to your greatest ability if you aren’t okay without somebody. Having a person by your side is comfortable, but you need to learn how to fight some of your battles on your own.
- The best gifts are memories. Every year I grow a little older, Christmas time and the holidays in general have began to hold a different meaning to me. I’ve discovered that I don’t have a desire for material things as much, and instead have the itch to create memories with the people I love. For Christmas this year, my parents surprised my brother and I by renting a cabin in the mountains to spend Christmas day in. We bought a tree in our town, tied it to the top of our car, and drove up there. We made ornaments out of things we found in the forrest, and kept the cabin warm with a wood burning fire every night. It was the first time in a while that Christmas really did feel like Christmas, and I think it was because I was worried less about the presents I was receiving, and more about spending time with the people I love.
- There will be people that change your mind about things, embrace them. I’ve met so many amazing people this year. Some new, and others that were already in my life, and I developed a closer relationship with them. The most ironic thing is that every time I begin to have doubts about something, a person comes into my life to prove me otherwise. Don’t give up hope, sometimes the most amazing people are hiding where you least expect them.
- Home is where the heart is. Moving out of my childhood home and into an apartment an hour away from my family was one of the most difficult things I’ve overcame this year. I was afraid that wherever I was, it wouldn’t feel like ‘home’ because I was used to a different thing. The funny thing about change though is that you adapt very quickly to it. I learned that as long as I have my family, anywhere can feel like home.
- The book is ALWAYS better than the movie. 2014 was the year of some of my favorite novels moving to the big screen. I would walk into the theater with such high expectations, and leave with a strong sense of disappointment in my gut. Argue with me for as long as you want, the book is always better.
- Look for someone who loves you for all of you, not just parts of you. Theres goods and bads to everyone, and there are going to be some people who love both, and others who only choose to appreciate the good. Don’t fall for someone that does not love the whole you.
- You are constantly growing and changing, don’t keep anyone in your life that is going to stifle that. Being only 18 years old, I know I still have so much to learn in life, and so much more changing to do. You can’t surround yourself with people who don’t allow you to do that. I’ve lost a few friends throughout this year because of this. If someone really cares about you, they won’t be close minded about your decisions and the person you’re turning into.
- It’s okay to have days of doing nothing. This is something I’ve learned in the last few weeks of 2014. I have been go, go, going for two weeks straight, and my body is suffering because of it. You need to take it easy sometimes. A tree may seem strong, but it didn’t get that way by constantly trying to grow under harsh, unhealthy conditions. Your body is the same way. Stress can do terrible things to a body, especially mine. Make sure to always take a day or two to drink some tea, lay in bed, and unwind.
- Online classes are a lot harder than you would think. This year, I learned responsibility. I took an online History course (American History the 1500’s-1857 to be exact… yuck..) and it was online. I thought that it wouldn’t be as much work because I could do things at my own pace, but I was very very wrong. Never underestimate something, and work hard no matter how easy it might seem.
- You can’t care about other people’s opinions. Guess what? No matter what you do, there is ALWAYS going to be at least one person that isn’t going to agree with it. There are going to be people that don’t like your writing, people that don’t like your outfit, even people that just don’t like you. Maybe they’ll have a reason for it, maybe they won’t. Bottom line, don’t let it effect you. Don’t live your life to please other people. The only person that you should be striving to make happy is yourself.
- It’s okay to be a little wild sometimes. Okay.. I don’t mean go out and party every single night and get wasted, or do anything to put your body in danger, but just to make some impulsive, questionable decisions sometimes. You can’t live in fear. Yes, I went swimming in the ocean at midnight one night, and yes I got a cold and many bruises from it.. But I have a story to tell, and a great memory under my belt. You need to live a little. Especially at eighteen, I know that soon I’m going to have to be worrying about taxes and finding a career. Life is too short to not have a little bit of fun.
This year has been unforgettable. I’ve met amazing people, made wonderful memories, and learned more about myself than I have in eighteen years of being alive. There is not a single thing that I would change about 2014, and I’m excited to see everything 2015 has to offer. I hope everyone had a happy holiday and amazing New Year!
Until 2015,
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