2024: A Year of Lessons

It’s been a minute since I wrote anything for this blog. The winter months prompt a quiet sort of introspection and reflection on the year and everything that happened. Some years trickle by with little fanfare; others, like this one, are peppered with opportunities for growth, learning, and new experiences.

I consider myself a pretty sentimental person, but rather than detailing every flashing memory from the past twelve months, I figured I’d list twenty-five lessons I learned—chosen in honor of my age and the new year we’re stepping into. If any of these resonate with you, or if they bring you to reflect on your own experiences, then I’m glad I could offer you that on this final day of 2024.

1. No one will prioritize you in all the ways you deserve or want more than yourself. Learn your needs, your wants, and if you find yourself in the position of asking someone else to put you at the top of their list when they’ve shown that you don’t even make their top 5, you’re better off alone.

2. You don’t need to be liked by everyone to be a good person.

3. Take note of how your energy shifts and changes around certain people—especially the ones who leave you feeling exhausted or overworked.

4. Practice kindness and patience whenever you can. It may make the difference between a tense conversation and an unnecessary argument.

5. The dreams you think are unattainable are closer at hand than you think. Keep going.

6. Self-reliance is a good foundational approach to life. Don’t assume that someone with more time or resources than you can “save” you from responsibilities you must face on your own. Everyone has their own burdens to carry.

7. Contrastingly, don’t let pride get in the way of accepting help when you need it.

8. Be intentional with your time, actions, and words. People remember more than you know.

9. Go outside more. Your phone (and especially social media) is a portal to the best and worst of humanity, but real life can be far simpler, far more stable than what you see online. Remember that you exist on this earth, too. You are more than just a spectator to current events.

10. Being the cycle-breaker is isolating and difficult. It feels like you’re carrying a single torch into a vast, empty space, but there are many out there who empathize with the struggle of carving a new path. There may even be some who are waiting to follow your light into the dark.

11. Learn to let things go, but don’t forget what you learned. More often than not, we realize how to move forward when we consult the past.

12. Speaking up for yourself doesn’t make you confrontational; it establishes your right to take up space.

13. Learn to discern genuine kindness from false pleasantries, and be wary of those who idolize you. Not everyone has your best interests at heart, and some people only want to hear of your achievements so they can diminish them by projecting their own insecurities onto you.

14. Listen to your intuition.

15. Protecting yourself and your energy sometimes means disappointing others. It’s okay. You’re okay, too. You don’t need to be sorry for walking away.

16. Remember that everyone around you is only human.

17. Remember that you are only human.

18. Every milestone is not just “another expectation met.” Celebrate your accomplishments and invite your loved ones to celebrate with you! Be proud of every step you take.

19. Your time on this earth is so fleeting, so why not make your existence memorable?

20. Don’t believe everything you’re told, no matter how genuine the speaker may seem. People can be better liars than they make themselves out to be. But also, don’t be so distrusting of others that you back yourself into a corner. Again—listen to your intuition in moments where honesty comes into question.

21. Strive to learn new things, always.

22. Love collects no debts. Love can be as brutal as it is kind, as damaging as it is nurturing. Some of our greatest acts in life are performed in the name of love. It is complicated at best, crippling at worst, and no one can tell you what “true love” feels like. Its form changes as you grow, and yes, it is possible to grow out of love—but that isn’t to say you won’t ever find a place where you fit in again.

23. You have a greater impact on your communities than you know. Recognize and be assured of your worth before someone comes along to make you question it.

24. Set goals that challenge you, but don’t punish yourself if you fall short. All growth takes time.

25. Be open to new opportunities, but recognize that you don’t have to accept everything that is offered to you. This is your life. You decide what goes and what stays.

Thanks so much for reading! I’m wishing everyone a clean slate, a fresher mindset, and a new year full of abundance. So long, 2024!