the idea of a new year's resolution seems a tad cliche, but who am I kidding, I caught myself scribbling a list of lessons I strive to carry on with me into the new year and stumbled upon this;
here it goes:
1) Silence is a rare companion, do not fear it. Going for a walk, eating a meal by yourself, or even sitting & letting your thoughts wander are all things that your mind needs. Many people are afraid of being alone for two reasons: one, people will look at them and think they have no friends and two, they are afraid of what their mind will tell them when nothing is distracting it. I'm saying that silence is your friend. Once you get over the awkwardness and vulnerability, it can be beautiful.
I encourage you to get some solitude at any point in the day, make time for it.
2) Tell yourself one thing that you like about yourself everyday. It is important for you to love yourself, and even on the days where you feel crummy, dig deep down and find even the smallest trait you like about yourself, and say it, out loud. Look in a mirror and compliment yourself on things that come from your heart and personality, nothing outer. See how and where that takes you with the concept of love.
3) For the Lord's sake, put your smartphone away. This is one thing I am extremely passionate about, in particular. Now this is not to say I am not guilty as charged, because I am. (Do not forget these pointers are for me as well). Anyways, just put your phone away as much as possible. When you are at a meal, hanging out with family, doing something fun, or watching the sunset, resist the urge to capture every moment instantly and actually live the moment for a little. Does it matter more that your Instagram followers remember your experience than you, yourself? Embrace the present moment you are in and just live it. Anyone and anything on your phone can and will wait.
Which brings me to my next point:
4) Delete as many social media as possible. Let's be honest. Do you genuinely care about your high school friends and what they are doing every hour? If the answer is no, then who cares about social media! Yes, indeed use it for friends and family you are interested in but strip yourself away from the rest of the social media world, because trust me, the people that care about how you are and what you are doing will make an effort to reach out and ask you, no proof or picture necessary.
5) Use your emotions to their fullest capacity. By this I mean, let yourself feel. Cry when you need to, don't try and hide it. Can we just all agree that attempting to hold back your tears in front of others is the worst thing ever. Love fiercely and never stop telling people how much you love them, even at super random times. Love unconditionally, even when it's really hard to. Just be the kind of friend that you would rely on.
6) Hangout with older people. I don't mean like cool people in their twenties, I mean like your parents and grandparents. It is seriously surprising how rewarding it is to talk to older people about life and their experiences. You never know what you can learn about family members and what you can apply to your own life. Old people rule.
7) Don't set imaginary boundaries. Do not think that you live within some wall that prevents you from doing something completely insane and awesome. Like for example, living in a different country. Whoever said that America was our only option? Some people may find it crazy, but hey, we have a lot of other countries that need exploring. And why do the same things day in and day out in the same town? When your friends ask you what you want to do tonight, stray away from the usual movies or dinner locally and go find someplace unknown, out of town, and explore. Why do the same thing you did last weekend?
8) Find something you loved to do as a kid, and take it up. I recently started taking dance lessons again and I have never been happier with my decision. I know some may think that it's "too late" or "too ridiculous" to try something new or pursue a passion, but that is dead wrong. Find that one thing that you used to love to do as kid or has always fascinated you and give it a shot. I'm not saying make a career out of it, but you're missing out if you're not doing challenging things that make you happy.
9) Create some outlet to express yourself. Now this might be something as simple as journaling, or maybe a hobby. But engage in daily activity that gets your mind working and your thoughts flowing. Writing, singing, dancing, drawing, painting, making music, taking pictures, whatever it is, allow your mind an escape for a little while to play. Writing your thoughts down on a journal can also help you process life better and get a good grasp on situations.
Last:
10) Do what you want. Simple. Go out and do whatever the hell you want to do. Stop putting up with things that do not make you happy and please, please stop saying sorry for things that you are not sorry for. Wear what you want, and do not give a crap about what anyone will think. Listen to headphones and dance on the street and not worry about looking like a fool. Hangout with people that will lift you up and make you happy. Just do whatever it takes to fill your life with joy. There's no time for anything else.
With that being said, make 2014 kick-ass.
*Inspiration behind this post: Resolution by Matt Corby
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