6 Things I Learned in 2014

I don't think I have proper words to talk about 2014. I really don't. It's been a whirlwind of a year to say the least, with more pits and trip-ups than I would wish upon anybody.

But I'm not going to write about that today. I'm going to write about what I've learned.

1. While having high expectations is not a bad thing, there is no better way to ruin your view of reality. There is so much about life and the world that is amazing and beautiful, but our tendency to dream about things and blow them up in our minds will only lead to disappointment. I will be the last to tell you not to dream. To dream is a step on the road to do fantastic things, but we must be cautious about spending to much time dreaming and fantasizing and not enough appreciating the moment when those things we dream about finally come to us.

2. People leave and it isn't the end of your world when they do. People are organic creatures, constantly growing and moving wherever the wind blows them. This just means that there will come a day when those who you have given your heart to will drift away or pack up and walk out without so much as a goodbye. Darlings, you must not take this heart. I know better than anyone what it is to love and to lose. It's a part of life. The point is that we never take them for granted as long as they are ours.

3. You mustn't lower your standards for anybody. To know who you are and what you deserve is a gift to be cherished. You are stardust and light and you deserve to be treated with the utmost respect and honor. If someone walks all over you, leave them. There is value in second chances, but there is far more value in standing up for yourself.

4. People operate in different ways and none of them are wrong. You may draw love in a way that is vastly different from that of your best friend and that is okay. Neither of you is correct. Try to understand each other's perspectives and things will go much smoother for you in the end.

5. It is good and healthy to let things go. Yes, mourn the loss of your boyfriend or the missed opportunity or the absence of your deceased loved one. But there comes a time when you are no longer mourning and instead wallowing in self-pity. To feel, to cry, to take care of yourself during a time of loss, all are necessary to grow. But to move forward is just as important and you will thank yourself for it in the end.

6. No matter how low you fall or how deep you hurt, there will always be someone who loves you. And trust me, there will be many times when you do not see this to be true. Your heart will be break and you will be blinded by the shards but you must always remember that even when you are lonely, you are not alone.

This year, there was pain. There was stress and there was heartache and there was frustration. But there was also so much victory. The sick were healed and the broken were mended and the silent began to sing again. My Guiding Light never did fail me as I trust He never will. And while I am over the moon to be moving on and leaving 2014 behind me, I take my next steps with lessons under my belt that I would never have learned otherwise.

So here's to you and here's to your victory and here's to all the ones to come. I am so extraordinarily proud of you for making it this far.

And I am so ready to see what beautiful things 2015 will hold.