Goodbye 2018, Hello 2019: To Lessons Learned and New Beginnings

Hey Everyone!
 
 Hope you and yours are having a joyous holiday season. I am always grateful for the respite that the holiday season brings. It's a time to relax and enjoy your loved ones. With that said, Christmas is officially over, the holidays as a whole are coming to a close. We are now entering the final phase: New Years. Unlike Christmas were the average person dwells on past traditions and making memories, New Years is about looking forward and planning for a prosperous future. Like so many, I can't help but think about all the amazing things I want for myself and my loved ones in the year to come. I want to wishfully think beautiful things into our future. Unfortunately, that's not how life works. A steadfast path filled with hard work, dedication, and commitment is truly the only way to make your dreams come true. The occasional dose of luck can impact the outcome, but other than that your personal ability to push yourself is the solitary way to meet to your desired goals.
 
 Of course, I am making my list of New Year's Resolutions, who isn't, but this year I wanted to approach it differently. I want to actually reflect on the year I have recently experienced; I truly want to examine the good, the bad, and the ugly. From there, I want to assess the lessons I have learned and plan for 2019 accordingly. I find that this tough, yet necessary approach not only forces me to be honest about the amount of growth whether personal or otherwise I have truly made, but it also helps me make realistic, attainable goals/plans for my future. Today, as my first Journal entry on Nia's Corner I want to share my 2018 lessons and 2019 resolutions with you all.

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2018 was filled with so many teachable moments. I actively tried to learn from each notable experience I had this year and in 361 days I have had to actively learn a lot. However, the biggest lessons of 2018 were: be fearless and let go, let God. Both lessons allowed me to learn so many things. Like how to be more social, or how to forgive myself for past mistakes, or how to experience and growth through failure. I wouldn't have been able to learn those smaller, yet valuable lessons if I hadn't learned to be fearless and to ‘Let Go, Let God'.
 
 For me, being fearless doesn't mean to be reckless or careless it means to be okay with stepping outside of your box, experience new things, speaking up and be creative. ‘Let Go, Let God' means to be okay with not being able to control the outcome; I know as long as I put my best foot forward and I always present the best way I know how the outcome will be exactly as it was meant to be. At the core of it, this phrase truly means that no matter how things end up, that was exactly how they are supposed to.
 As I stated above those two lessons work hand in hand for me. If I didn't learn to be fearless, I would have never learned how to be okay with the outcome; I would have never learned that it's okay to fail or fall a bit short. In other words, as Aaliyah so beautifully sang, "If at first you don't succeed, pick yourself up and try again."
 As I continue to move through life, I am going to take these lessons with me and apply them to every year, every season, every experience. In 2019 my main goal is to continue my 2018 lessons; to use those lessons to fuel the goals I have for myself.

 With aaaaalllllllll that said—my 2019 resolutions are (in addition to being fearless and ‘Let Go, Let God'):

• Lose weight—not just for washboard abs or a nice butt, but for better health and more energy. I want to go to the gym 2-3 times per week and work out a total of 4 times a week. I also want to modify my diet; not completely change it, but be more conservative with my meal portions, find healthier alternatives to my favorite foods, and cut back on hormone filled foods like dairy and meat.
• Learn Spanish—I have always wanted to learn Spanish, however, I find it hard for me to learn new things. Probably because I am really forgetful, but in 2019 I vow to find an awesome tutor and practice daily.
• Be more social—I am not one to "hang out" or have tons of friends. In 2018, I decided to find more people I am compatible with and to spend time cultivating those relationships. I plan to continue doing so and hopefully find amazing, inspiring people to experience life with.
• Control my emotions—I am definitely an emotional person. I have a tendency to overreact, speak before I think, or just allow my anxiety to overtake me. In the new year, I plan to slow down and breathe, think clearly and then respond to situations.
• Be more organized—I am a messy person. My anxiety and on the go, lifestyle have a tendency to make it hard for me to clean up behind myself. This upcoming year I will actively work in time to clean up behind myself and commit one day a week to "deep cleaning".
• Have better sleeping habits—I am such a night owl! It is so hard for me to stop the gears from turning in my head at night and it is even harder to get them started in the morning. I want to fix that. I need to go to sleep at a reasonable hour and wake up at a reasonable hour. I need to stick to my night routine; therefore, my sleep will become almost rhythmic and effortless.

 
 
Hopefully this coming year I will achieve all those things and so much more. I prophesy that 2019 will be riddled with positive, beautiful, and inspirational moments. I am excited for a fresh start and a glorious year. Happy Holidays everyone!
 
 That's all folks!
 
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