The 10 Most Important Life Lessons I Learned In 2017

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1. Trust yourself enough to fall. You won’t break. You are more resilient than you think.

2. Seize new opportunities to start over. Don’t let fear stand in the way of taking chances. Of bettering yourself. And of pursuing your own happiness.

3. Surround yourself with people that help you thrive. I spent the majority of 2017 in a toxic environment. Don’t let yourself become heavy with this burden. Give yourself permission to be around friends, family, and coworkers that inspire you to become a better version of yourself.

4. Leave room in your heart for the unexpected. This applies to friendship as much as romantic partners. The older we get, the more we pride ourselves on the #nonewfriends mindset. Think about the best friend you made this year. How different would your life be if you had shut yourself off from him/her?


5. Allow yourself to be challenged.The supervisor who redlined your work and pushed you to think critically was the one who was on your team the most. The grad school class that you made flashcards for until your hands cramped up—that A will be the one you will become most proud of.

6. Being vulnerable is a strength. Allow yourself to drop your mask. It’s unnecessary weight. Replace your hard exterior with one that is sturdy, but tender.

7. Learn to accept when you were wrong. Swallow your pride. Apologize when you need to but never for who you are.

8. Control your own narrative. If you’re unhappy about being called “the funny one,” “the shy friend,” or “the flirt,” reflect on how you’ve contributed to this narrative. Speak kinder about yourself and others will follow suit.

9. Trust the journey of mindfulness. Mindfulness is not erasing your mind of all thoughts. It’s about making a choice to focus on your breath. It’s about intentionality. About emotions. About heart.

10. Believe in the beauty of your own words. A blank Word document, an empty journal, or that notebook you bought for your own poetry. Type. Write. Scribble. Press backspace or crumple up drafts if you need to. Just don’t be afraid to let your voice be heard.