Let Go

“When people walk away from you, let them go. Your destiny is never tied to anyone who leaves you, and it doesn’t mean they are bad people. It just means that their part in your story is over.”

― Tony McCollum

         One of the more painful lessons of life is that some people were only meant to be in our life for a season. Often, people are brought into our life to help us through a difficult time or we are meant to help them. For life is like a continuous train ride where many people get on and off…some for one stop and others don’t get off for a few stops. The key is to learn that it’s okay to let go and watch people get off the train because they are no longer meant to be a part of your journey.

Precious Gift

“Regardless of Sunshine or Rain, Be Thankful for another GREAT day…and treat Life as the ULTIMATE Gift…. Because IT IS :)”

― Pablo

         Every day you wake is a blessing…it is a precious gift that should be cherished and not wasted. No matter what the day may bring – rain or shine – you should be thankful for the chance to live one more moment. For some would give anything to see the storm clouds raging if it meant one more day on this Earth.

Be Your Own Narrator

“There is no list of rules. There is one rule. The rule is: there are no rules. Happiness comes from living as you need to, as you want to. As your inner voice tells you to. Happiness comes from being who you actually are instead of who you think you are supposed to be. Being traditional is not traditional anymore. It’s funny that we still think of it that way. Normalize your lives, people. You don’t want a baby? Don’t have one. I don’t want to get married? I won’t. You want to live alone? Enjoy it. You want to love someone? Love someone. Don’t apologize. Don’t explain. Don’t ever feel less than. When you feel the need to apologize or explain who you are, it means the voice in your head is telling you the wrong story. Wipe the slate clean. And rewrite it. No fairy tales. Be your own narrator. And go for a happy ending. One foot in front of the other. You will make it.”

― Shonda Rhimes

         At the end of the day, if there is one lesson you carry with you throughout life, it is this: Be Your Own Person. Don’t live your life trying to meet other people’s expectations for you. Dare to live your truth and never apologize or feel the need to explain yourself to anyone.

Be You

“Never try to do anything that is outside of who you are. A forced smile is a sign of what feels wrong in your heart, so recognize it when it happens. Living a lie will reduce you to one.”

― Ashly Lorenzana

         Be confident in who you are, and never let anyone or anything force you to compromise your values. This is often the hardest lesson of life but is the key to living a life full of happiness and integrity. For if there is one rule to govern your life by, it would simply be to live your truth each and every day.

No Regrets

“I don’t do regrets. Regrets are pointless. It’s too late for regrets. You’ve already done it, haven’t you? You’ve lived your life. No point wishing you could change it.”

― Lemmy Kilmister

         What’s done is done. There’s no point in wasting energy regretting things that are in your past and can’t be changed. It does no one any good, least of all you. So, instead focus on creating a future that you are proud of and make better choices going forward.

Create Your Masterpiece

“Life’s kind of like a painting. A really bizarre, abstract painting. You could look at it and think that all it is, is a blur. And you could continue living your life thinking that all it is, is just a blur. But if you really look at it, really see it, focus on it, and use your imagination, life can become so much more. The painting could be of the sea, the sky, people,buildings, a butterfly on a flower, or anything except the blur you were once convinced it was.”

― Cecelia Ahern

          Life is all about the lens you choose to view it from. One of my favorite phrases because it rings so true and deserves to be repeated many times. Life, your life, is a blank canvas waiting for you to create a masterpiece. The potential and tools are all there at your disposal and you have but to pick up the brush and start creating.

Stop Searching

“Stop searching the world for treasure, the real treasure is in yourself.”

― Pablo

           One of the most important lessons you will learn in life is that what you may spend a lifetime searching for is inside of you. That happiness and peace you so desperately seek can only be found from within. And the sooner you recognize this, the closer you will come to obtaining the life you crave.

Memories

“I think the only answer is to live life to the fullest while you can and collect memories like fools collect money. Because in the end, that’s all you have – happy memories.”

― Sarah Strohmey

          Life is all about the little moments…the memories we make with our loved ones. It’s about the relationships we cultivate. It isn’t about the money you make or the job you have. In the end, material things will mean nothing and the love we shared with others will mean everything.

Stop Running

“Everyone is in such a hurry. People haven’t found meaning in their lives, so they’re running all the time looking for it. They think the next car, the next house, the next job. Then they find those things are empty, too, and they keep running. Once you start running, it’s hard to slow yourself down.”

― Mitch Albom

         We all have the tendency to rush through life and search externally for happiness. We’re guilty of thinking that by changing our circumstances, it’ll fill the emptiness inside of us…that it’ll fix the brokenness within you. But sadly, this is not the case, for happiness and peace comes from within. So, stop running and face the person in the mirror.

Forgiveness

“Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else; it’s something you do for yourself. To forgive is not to condone, it is to refuse to continue feeling bad about an injury.”

― Jim Beaver

         We have all been hurt by others and by life’s circumstances. But the key is knowing when to let go of these past hurts instead of carrying the bitterness and anger around like dead weight. And the answer lies in forgiveness. In order to move forward, you must forgive those who have hurt you…including yourself.