What Has 2024 Taught You?
Ah the dreaded new year new me. . .
Goodbye 2024, Hello 2025:
It’s official, we’ve archived the memories of 2024 and anticipate the surprises 2025 will bring but, can we officially abandon 2024?
Let’s face it, 2024 was a hard year for all of us. Almost every single day there had been breaking news reports full of outrage, tragedies, tear jerking information and division of the general public amongst each other; and it looks like this year has already started to mimic that same path. At this point, we live in a world where we have access to virtually everything and an overwhelming amount of information at our fingertips
“. . .ever heard of information overload?”
And like all years before, we’ve learned some monumental things that would change the course of our lives forever. We are going to discuss 5 major lessons that the general public has learned or witnessed.
First things first:
1. Boundaries
. . .something we should all know and have already implemented. It’s as straight forward as it says; being considerate is a great characteristic to have but, being a doormat for everyone around you isn’t. Whether its, emotionally, physically, mentally etc. . .you are your first priority and others won’t respect you until you respect yourself. Set some boundaries and see how well your life improves.
“A boundary shows me where i end and someone else begins, leading me to a sense of ownership.”
2. Oversharing
Mainly due to the presence of the many social media outlets we use today, people have a habit, better yet an addiction to sharing their lives. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with relatability, but at what point does it become TMI (too much information). I don’t know about you but nothing good comes from thousands of people knowing every little thing about you. It’s ok to reel back and preserve some mystery to yourself or share with a close friend. You never know when information can come back to bite you where it hurts so. . .
“Think before you speak. Read before you think.”
3. Taking Life Slow
What is one cause for anxiety? Stressful life events. Being anxious is one of the most stressful feelings so it’s best to take a moment, NO, several moments to stop and think. It’s actually very beneficial to take your time and revel in the moment, even if it’s the most mundane of tasks such as taking a shower, eating, driving etc. . . We all want that soft life but, that requires a slow and steady lifestyle. You don’t have to be rich to achieve this sort of peace, start off with what you CAN DO and SLOWLY work your way up.
Remember, life hits you fast but, you don’t need to mimic its pace.
4. Family Is Important
Cliché as it is, this is generally something you understand as you get older. Family is really all you have and in that sense it’s also who you really consider family. There are a lot of dysfunctional families out there that don’t operate on love so please disregard selfish toxic behavior. However, for the ones who sometimes don’t see eye to eye through misunderstandings or stress, please resolve petty issues. Unserious issues aren’t worth the love and bond a family has. Don’t throw it all away for trivial nonsense that won’t be worth remembering in a few months. 2020 showed us quite the hardship of losing loved ones so cherish one another while you still can.
“Where there is family there is love”
“For the love of money is the root of all evil
—- 1 Timothy 6:10
5. Integrity Over Money
. . .in a sense yes but, money is an inanimate object and an object cannot do damage without a wielder. Money isn’t necessary the issue but, it’s our intention behind what we want to do with money. This refers to the dangers of prioritizing money over values. Lack of money and greed can cause people to do a lot of strange and desperate things. However, whatever the reason may be, DO NOT COMPROMISE YOUR CORE VALUES FOR ANY REASON. Don’t compromise your self respect over temporary funds because when the money is gone so is your reputation.
“He that is of the opinion that money will do everything may well be suspected of doing everything for money.”
—- Benjamin Franklin
So What Have You Learned?
With every new year, it offers the opportunity to start a new journey towards wellness. We reflect back on the bad and turn it into future favor to cultivate a better way of living, thinking and operating. There’s always something to take away from the past which in turn shapes the future. How we choose to apply these lessons are entirely our decision but, always choose the path of integrity & peace over greed & instant gratification. Nurture your well being and cultivate your character for a better future.
