5 Things 2016 Has Taught Me

Christmas time can be so stressful at times and if you’re like me, you want each gift to be perfect and each person to feel special. *Happy dance* I’m done with all of the gift purchasing so now I can retrospectively look back on 2016. 5 things 2016 has taught me…..

1. Take chances and be adventurous: I actually went on my first trip abroad with a passport… Since I was a kid, Spain has been my number one travel destination. I told myself I would go in 2016 no matter what…as it turns out there was a study abroad trip planned for Spain. (I think it was fate!) I started my job right after I got back so I’ve been adjusting and plan on making a few more adventures abroad in 2017. If not now, then when? I think the best way to get to know who you are plus experience what the world has to offer.
2. Never take anyone/anything for granted: This doesn’t need much explaining but if you have something/someone good in your life, be grateful. Use your words to express the way someone makes you feel, you never know when you’ll get another chance. Also, be grateful for what you have and stop trying to find things you “need’ because someone somewhere is wishing they had your life.
3. Set goals and follow through: 2016 was a year of determination for me..I was determined to graduate, go to Spain, and get a job. All of which I completed but…I wish I would have given myself more goals! I read a book on the 4 Disciplines of Execution and the main nugget I found important is that you need to set 1-3 goals (ideally no more than 2) to succeed. What I didn’t do was create new goals to replace the ones I’ve completed. Challenge for you: Set 1-3 goals for yourself to accomplish in 2017. Once you complete one goal…create another! Honestly, there’s nothing like completing a goal and knowing that all of your hard work wasn’t in vain.
4. Find reasons to smile: This one really correlates with number two. Sure I have faced stressful and upsetting times, but I’ve had to remind myself that I have thousands of reasons to smile. Anything as simple as seeing how excited any of my dogs get when I get home or reminiscing about an old happy memory.
5. Use your voice: This one I could probably rant on and on about. As some of you may know in the month of September I took a 30 day hiatus for the children in Syria and donated to a cause focused on those children. It hasn’t gotten better..in fact, it’s gotten worse. More often than not I hear people tell me they don’t want to hear about it because it’s so sad…and to me, it’s a no-brainer that’s why we have to share, spread the word, and shine a light on a very dark time in those people’s lives. The more “the right people” see our post about it and show that we care, the more inclined they are on helping.  I wonder if it’s because people feel like their voice, their share, their opinion is insignificant but there’s power in the multitude.