A winter snowstorm is about to hit my area today, so I thought it would be a good time to stop and reflect on 2014. I learned a lot about myself this past year. Some things were beautiful reinforcements of awareness I already have. Others were things I might have known deep down, but 2014 they emerged to be very important. Overall I feel 2014 was a very productive year creatively. Time after time I seem to have my personal beliefs reinforced and solidified. Here’s the list of the top things I learned about myself in 2014.
Live in the Now
What could I possibly say about this lesson that was reaffirmed over and over to me in 2014? All I can think of at this moment is this: There is nothing but the present moment, to step out of it is losing myself.
Love and Accept Myself
The one thing that seemed to repeat itself many times over the past year is to love and accept myself. The foundation of which the rest of my life is built upon. To grow as a person and to travel farther along my spiritual path, I have to love myself and accept myself for who I Am. I have to accept what was in the past and understand that it has led me to be the person I am today. At different times in the past year, having a strong belief of who and being positive helped me get through financial times and months that I did not do so well on my fitness journey. I love and accept myself, as I Am.
To Make a Difference, Help Those Around You
I learned in 2014 that to truly make a difference, the best thing you can do is help those around you. Many people want to change the world and make it a better place. I’ve dreamed of that for years. Honestly, who doesn’t want to personally make the world better? Often those dreams are bit out of reach for some of us. I mean, I’m not going to find a cure for cancer or save a child from a burning building like a firefighter would. What I did discover is that I can make a positive difference in the lives of others by simply helping them. Giving of my time, knowledge or talent to help others. It’s in the small act of compassion that will spawn others to pay it forward. From there, the flower of change blooms and together we make a big difference in the world.
I Love Photography
I’ve had a love of photography for years and years. I think I may have gotten into graphic design because I thought it would be easier than photography. I looked at photography as an art form for a select few and the learning curve would be too great for me to understand. I decided to break past that mental roadblock in 2014 and I bought my first DSLR, a Canon T-3i. I’ll admit in the beginning it was intimidating. But with practice and a lot of Internet searching, it’s become easier and more accessible. I made and kept my goal of photo tripping every weekend during the summer of 2014. I took my camera every weekend and learned a lot about it. Every time I pick it up, it just feels right to have a camera in my hand. Yeah, I lovephotography.
Keeping a Schedule
I would say the biggest non-spiritual lesson I learned in 2014 would be that I’m a person that should keep a schedule. Being self-employed, it’s easy for me to get sidetracked. I’ve noticed it affects my work and my fitness journey. It’s easy for me to stop working and help someone who has asked for help, even when it’s in the middle of my working day. Don’t get me wrong, I love that I have a flexible schedule and I can help people out. But I noticed in 2014 that it affect how much work I get had done.
Towards the end of the year I became firm in telling people I need to work first and I will help later. Unless of course it’s an emergency. I will always stop what I’m doing to help someone out in a crisis. Most often it wasn’t an emergency and more along the lines of helping someone out because it was convenient for them. I think some people tend to forget that I have to work and pay bills just like everyone else. At one point I felt taken advantage of and ended that practice. As great as it would be to live the spiritual life debt-free, I’m not in the place to do that and I have to work. I am grateful that my schedule does allow me to help others in tough times and sometimes I’m the only one they can call.
Final Thoughts on 2014
Now 2014 is over, I can say it was a healthier and more satisfying year. I did better on my fitness journey, I jumped feet first into photography and I’m loving every minute of it. I’m not saying I could have done better at this or that, because it is what it is. I love and accept myself for the person I am and I ride the waves of life as best I can. I’m also not one to make New Year’s resolutions anymore. I will simply continue to do my best on living healthy and losing weight as well as being the best person I can. I say thank you universe, for the lessons of 2014. To 2015 I say brace yourself, it’s going to be a wild year!