Some Things I learned Last Year
My friend Panos Kolias recently shared some things on FB that he learned last year and asked if I would do the same. Being someone who loves to make lists this is right up my alley. ;) Below are some of the things I learned last year...
* It’s OK to say No. You don’t have to do everything everyone asks you to do, and you don’t have to take every gig you are offered.
* Family First. I already knew this – but this year was a good reminder.
* Don't make decisions based on pride or fear. If you do something simply to impress someone else it will leave you empty in the end. If you make a decision out of fear you may end up missing a cool gig, or taking one on that it would have been better if you didn’t. (this obviously goes for other areas of life as well, not just work)
* Make decisions based on what you know is best for you and your family - not what other people think would be best for you and your family. (ties in with previous points)
* Be quick to forgive. Offense and hurt will hold you back and steal your joy. Life is too short to be spent sulking. Dare to enjoy today. (Truth is - you have no idea what the person who hurt you is going through. Hurt people tend to hurt others. Forgive them and move on.)
* Don't try to be someone you aren’t in an attempt to please others. Find friends / colleagues who appreciate you for who you are instead of people who try to turn you into whomever they think you should be.
* Dare to have your own opinions. Not everyone will like your opinions. That is OK.
* Sleep is good. Make sure you get enough of it. It helps you stay healthy and alert which will lead to getting more done in shorter time than if you are constantly exhausted.
* Don’t worry so much. It doesn’t accomplish anything. I used to stay awake at night worrying. The next day I would be exhausted and therefor get very little done. Now I get up and work if I can’t sleep. It helps me set my worries aside and I get things done. A book I can recommend on the subject is “How to stop worrying and start living” by Dale Carnegie.
* Love yourself. With this I do not mean that you should be self-absorbed or prideful. I mean that you should treat yourself with kindness and love. I realized that I had been my own worst bully. I would constantly think thoughts that put myself down. “You are not good enough”, “you are not pretty enough”, “you will never amount to anything”… the list goes on. Last year I started fighting those thoughts and replacing them with the thought “only love today”. (thank you HandsFreeMama.com) Amazing how much more fun and beautiful life is when you don’t constantly beat yourself up. I also found I became more kind toward others when I was more kind toward myself.
*Bonus tip for all of you who made it through the list – never drink orange juice right after you brush your teeth. It is nasty! ;)
Wishing you all a Happy New Year!
~ Lydia