2017 is in full force now, its February and in case you needed a little reminder on what month it is or what needs to happen this year. But don’t worry we got some reminders or a couple new points to consider.
LETTER to Myself: 2017, The Pep Talk I Needed.
In the past year of 2016, I have experienced what I can only describe as the melting pot of emotions. Throughout the year, the driven “I can conquer the world and I will,” nothing is too hard; side of me has encouraged me to do all things that are out of my comfort zone. To be spontaneous. To be adventurous. I have completed things on my bucket list. I have met some amazing new people that I am lucky to now call friends. But how can I forget the other side to myself? The voice that allows me to tell myself that I’ll never be good enough even with the smallest disappointments. The one that allows me to be ashamed of every grade I didn’t work hard enough to make or every pound I didn’t work hard enough to lose to get to my goal weight. Even though I try not to let those thoughts get to me, it’s been a roller ride trying to keep head straight. But this past year, I have gained some of my biggest achievements and lost some of my biggest fears and today, I have some advice for my 2017 self.
- You’re anything but ordinary.
This past year, I made an unknown city my new home. I learned to live better in a culture completely different than my own. I learned to live without my family for the first time. I pushed myself to take on more than I ever have and I did well in every aspect. I have been admired for the way I care for others and I have been praised for having a good head on my shoulders and a heart this world deserves to know. And after all that, am I really going to allow me to tell myself that I am not good enough? That’s just not fair. So here I am, making a promise to myself that every day of the New Year, at some point of the day, I will remind myself to celebrate my little achievements. I am going to teach myself to work smarter, not harder and that I will keep the heart that my loved ones praise full of self-love and admiration and convince myself of the reality that stands through the chaos, that I am anything but ordinary.
2. Comparing in the thief of Joy.
“Define success on your own terms, achieve it by your own rules, and build a life you’re proud to live.” — Anne Sweeney, Co-Chair of Disney.
Don’t let others have a louder voice than you in defining your joy. If a 5k is the longest distance you have ever run, be proud and celebrate that triumph! Don’t compare yourself to someone who is running a marathon instead. If you’re going to do that, be sure to give yourself the time and effort they have put in themselves to reach their goal of running a marathon because otherwise you are just not being fair to yourself. Someone will always have better grades, be at your goal weight or even have the Instagram feed that you want (lol) but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are better than you. It just means they have taken the time to focus on that goal more than you and I have. So I promise myself, I am going to be more thankful for the things I have achieved and work diligently for the things I am yet to achieve; instead of comparing my failure to other’s success. Because, just like I don’t have their success, they don’t have mine, but more importantly, I don’t have their sorrows either. You can’t wish for the good and skip the bad. Count the blessings you have and work for the ones you want.
3.Success Takes Time
At our age and in being a college student, everything seems permanent. A bad grade? That’s it; I am never going to get a job. But after all, this process is not that simple. As cliché as it may sound, success is a matter of trial and error. Push past the error and move on to your new trial! Maybe try it differently. Maybe at a different time. But just because you didn’t do as well as you expected, doesn’t automatically mean you’re not meant for it. Be patient with the process. If you want to achieve your goals, much like Nike once said, JUST DO IT. And keep the right mind set while doing it. The attitude you choose in these situations can be more important than the outcome. Put all of your anxiety and energy into working productively for your goals and the result will be nothing short of rewarding. Therefore, I promise to be productive with my stress and anxiety and learn to plan properly in order to reach my success. And remember that all good things take time.
4.Don’t be so hard on yourself.
Disappointments in life are more important than the achievements themselves because those are the actions that teach you who to be. So learn from them instead of sulking about them. If you’re going to criticize your disappointments, criticize them in a creative way where you can get something other than self-hate out of it. Know that it’s okay to find some new weaknesses and remember that you have bigger accomplishments just waiting to be achieved, as long as you put your mind to it.
5.Find yourself a little more
“For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ And whenever the answer has been ‘No’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.” -Steve Jobs
The biggest thing I want to focus on this year is to find the time for myself to grow. Make more time for the things you love to do but more importantly make time for the new things you still want to learn to love. Whether it is my ambition of becoming a pro yogi or finding a way to help the refugee families coming in, I want to achieve more for myself and my inner peace and that to me, is more important than any other success.
A new year is here, which means there are new opportunities waiting to be achieved and new adventures to be had. Forgive your past mistakes and make space for your future. Find your happiness and make it a habit. Set goals for yourself and don’t, even for a second, doubt the fact that you will achieve it. Put in the work it requires so that at the end when you look back you can say you did your best. And most importantly, remember that this life is yours and it is what you make it.