Lessons I Will Take Into 2014
(And other things that have changed my life)
I am writing this because being home for the holidays has made me realize just how much I have changed since living on my own, and more importantly made me reflect on all my past mistakes over the past few years. This letter is for anyone! I felt inspired to write this because these are a few things that have been on my heart recently. Hopefully something will resonate with you!
1. Everyday is a good day. I heard this for the first time from one of my best friends Father, before he passed away our senior year. He said, "There is no such thing as a bad day." And he was right. There isn't. Sure, you may have an "off" day. But you're still breathing, capable of putting on a smile, and you always have someone that loves you. If that seems too cliche or not enough for you, then remember that only YOU hold the power to make it a good day.
"For I know the plans for you declares the Lord, plans for good not bad, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 "What I am doing now you will not understand, but you will understand later." John 13:7
2. Stop trying to find "Mr. Right" or "Mrs. Right" Simply focus on being right. Your goal in life should not be to find that perfect someone, or to please anyone else. Make yourself into someone you love. Be who you want to be. Get comfortable with who you are and learn to fall in love with yourself. Be a better friend, sister, brother, daughter or son. You will NOT die alone a single and bitter person. Love will make its way to you. Just enjoy your life and focus on creating a life that feels good on the inside. Love is incredible, it is confusing, hurtful, and beautiful in the most amazing ways. Just don't get caught up in the superficial fake Hollywood love. Real love comes from Christ.
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." 1Cortinthians 13
3. You will never look like that girl on that magazine doing that unnatural pose. I am not saying that to be mean. What I mean is, if you have ever checked out Photoshop, it's an incredible tool. Don't believe me? Check out the Dove Body Campaign on youtube. With today's technology you can change absolutely anything and everything- and it's SO easy to do. So STOP comparing yourself to this months Cosmo cover girl or with the Victoria's Secret models. You are beautiful. You were made in the image of Christ, and you are perfect exactly the way you are. And guys, don't expect us to look like her. The images you see, that are thrown in your face daily are the images of women who's sole job is to look the way they do. Like I said above, the power of Photoshop is unreal. More and more women are standing up and saying they won't allow themselves to be Photoshopped. Women have stretch marks from puberty, cellulite, and maybe a little tummy fat we like to call a "pooch" under our belly buttons. IT IS NORMAL! Having a ripped up six pack, or being able to see every single one of our ribs is NOT normal. Every woman is beautiful in their own unique way. That's how the good Lord made us.
"Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." Proverbs 31:30
4. You are not defined by "likes." ...Or retweets, or favorites, or followers. I don't feel like I should even have to go into this, but it is an issue. It is easy to create a certain image online. Life is not the way it seems through someone's social media. It should be used as something fun to share with friends and family. It is not a competition. Don't seek attention or try to find your worth through it. You will be left feeling empty and alone that one time you don't break 100, 200 or however many "likes" you are seeking. No amount of comments and likes can fix self-confidence issues. Oh and can we all make a pact that in 2014 we will do away with shirtless selfies, scandalous bikini pictures, and anything you wouldn't want your parents to see? Clean it up, there are no private moments on the internet, and nothing ever actually deletes or goes away.
5. To fail is to succeed. Everyone knows the Michael Jordan quote about all the shots he's missed, games lost, and the amount of failures he had in his career. There is something to be said about failing, dusting yourself off, and picking yourself back up. Obstacles, mistakes, hardships should all be seen as stepping stones climbing towards victory, not as stumbling blocks breaking and blocking you from succeeding. Attitude is everything. The power of positive thinking is incredible.
"Be strong and courageous, do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the Lord, your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9
6. Dream Big, Work Hard If there is a dream in your heart that keeps coming back, then it could be your destiny. Follow your dream, follow your passion. If you set your mind and heart on that dream, then no one can hold you back. Remember, focus on the journey, not the destination. See the big picture, but don't get caught up. Live in the present, work your hardest, and good things will happen. I fully believe that God places desires and dreams in our heart for a reason. Go to him for strength to pursue it, and for humility when you achieve it. God finds glory in this. Do what you love, love what you do. Oh, and WORK HARD, harder than anyone else. Create your own opportunities and be so good that you can not be denied you dream.
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13
7. It's okay to cry. Sometimes you just need a good cry. Happy tears, sad tears, pms tears, angry tears, it doesn't matter! Just cry, cry, cry your butt off! If you're sad proceed to the cookie dough aisle, it won't kill ya! Or if you're like me head to the gym and throw on the boxing gloves and destroy that punching bag. Take a walk. Read a book. Take a bubble bath. Just set aside some "me" time for yourself.
"You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. This I know, God is on my side!" Psalm 56:8
8. Be kind. Smile at strangers. Hold the door open. Tell your teacher you appreciate her. Hug your parents. Text someone you haven't talked to in awhile. It's the little things that can make a big difference. Just think of the worst day you've ever had. Now, imagine if one person had given you a genuine smile. Or if a friend had asked to stay in and have a movie night with you. Just be kind to others. "Be kinder than necessary to all those you meet, for everyone is fighting some kind of battle." Who knows, you could change someone's day, or save someone's life.
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another." John 13:34
Thank you for reading! Let's make it a great year. God bless :)
I am writing this because being home for the holidays has made me realize just how much I have changed since living on my own, and more importantly made me reflect on all my past mistakes over the past few years. This letter is for anyone! I felt inspired to write this because these are a few things that have been on my heart recently. Hopefully something will resonate with you!
1. Everyday is a good day. I heard this for the first time from one of my best friends Father, before he passed away our senior year. He said, "There is no such thing as a bad day." And he was right. There isn't. Sure, you may have an "off" day. But you're still breathing, capable of putting on a smile, and you always have someone that loves you. If that seems too cliche or not enough for you, then remember that only YOU hold the power to make it a good day.
"For I know the plans for you declares the Lord, plans for good not bad, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 "What I am doing now you will not understand, but you will understand later." John 13:7
2. Stop trying to find "Mr. Right" or "Mrs. Right" Simply focus on being right. Your goal in life should not be to find that perfect someone, or to please anyone else. Make yourself into someone you love. Be who you want to be. Get comfortable with who you are and learn to fall in love with yourself. Be a better friend, sister, brother, daughter or son. You will NOT die alone a single and bitter person. Love will make its way to you. Just enjoy your life and focus on creating a life that feels good on the inside. Love is incredible, it is confusing, hurtful, and beautiful in the most amazing ways. Just don't get caught up in the superficial fake Hollywood love. Real love comes from Christ.
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." 1Cortinthians 13
3. You will never look like that girl on that magazine doing that unnatural pose. I am not saying that to be mean. What I mean is, if you have ever checked out Photoshop, it's an incredible tool. Don't believe me? Check out the Dove Body Campaign on youtube. With today's technology you can change absolutely anything and everything- and it's SO easy to do. So STOP comparing yourself to this months Cosmo cover girl or with the Victoria's Secret models. You are beautiful. You were made in the image of Christ, and you are perfect exactly the way you are. And guys, don't expect us to look like her. The images you see, that are thrown in your face daily are the images of women who's sole job is to look the way they do. Like I said above, the power of Photoshop is unreal. More and more women are standing up and saying they won't allow themselves to be Photoshopped. Women have stretch marks from puberty, cellulite, and maybe a little tummy fat we like to call a "pooch" under our belly buttons. IT IS NORMAL! Having a ripped up six pack, or being able to see every single one of our ribs is NOT normal. Every woman is beautiful in their own unique way. That's how the good Lord made us.
"Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." Proverbs 31:30
4. You are not defined by "likes." ...Or retweets, or favorites, or followers. I don't feel like I should even have to go into this, but it is an issue. It is easy to create a certain image online. Life is not the way it seems through someone's social media. It should be used as something fun to share with friends and family. It is not a competition. Don't seek attention or try to find your worth through it. You will be left feeling empty and alone that one time you don't break 100, 200 or however many "likes" you are seeking. No amount of comments and likes can fix self-confidence issues. Oh and can we all make a pact that in 2014 we will do away with shirtless selfies, scandalous bikini pictures, and anything you wouldn't want your parents to see? Clean it up, there are no private moments on the internet, and nothing ever actually deletes or goes away.
5. To fail is to succeed. Everyone knows the Michael Jordan quote about all the shots he's missed, games lost, and the amount of failures he had in his career. There is something to be said about failing, dusting yourself off, and picking yourself back up. Obstacles, mistakes, hardships should all be seen as stepping stones climbing towards victory, not as stumbling blocks breaking and blocking you from succeeding. Attitude is everything. The power of positive thinking is incredible.
"Be strong and courageous, do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the Lord, your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9
6. Dream Big, Work Hard If there is a dream in your heart that keeps coming back, then it could be your destiny. Follow your dream, follow your passion. If you set your mind and heart on that dream, then no one can hold you back. Remember, focus on the journey, not the destination. See the big picture, but don't get caught up. Live in the present, work your hardest, and good things will happen. I fully believe that God places desires and dreams in our heart for a reason. Go to him for strength to pursue it, and for humility when you achieve it. God finds glory in this. Do what you love, love what you do. Oh, and WORK HARD, harder than anyone else. Create your own opportunities and be so good that you can not be denied you dream.
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13
7. It's okay to cry. Sometimes you just need a good cry. Happy tears, sad tears, pms tears, angry tears, it doesn't matter! Just cry, cry, cry your butt off! If you're sad proceed to the cookie dough aisle, it won't kill ya! Or if you're like me head to the gym and throw on the boxing gloves and destroy that punching bag. Take a walk. Read a book. Take a bubble bath. Just set aside some "me" time for yourself.
"You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. This I know, God is on my side!" Psalm 56:8
8. Be kind. Smile at strangers. Hold the door open. Tell your teacher you appreciate her. Hug your parents. Text someone you haven't talked to in awhile. It's the little things that can make a big difference. Just think of the worst day you've ever had. Now, imagine if one person had given you a genuine smile. Or if a friend had asked to stay in and have a movie night with you. Just be kind to others. "Be kinder than necessary to all those you meet, for everyone is fighting some kind of battle." Who knows, you could change someone's day, or save someone's life.
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another." John 13:34
Thank you for reading! Let's make it a great year. God bless :)
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