10 Things I Learned In 2017

Happy 2018!! I know I'm not the only one who's thinking this, but THANK GOD 2017 IS OVER! I am not exaggerating when I say this has been the worst year of my life. Sad, but true considering the unfortunate events that have happened these past couple months. I've been forced into learning a few things this year, some for better some for worse, and wanted to share a few of those lessons (don't worry it's not all serious!) here on the blog. I'm trying my best to take every challenge and stressor that comes at me and make it positive, and it's taken this year of craziness to really make that positivity aspect step in.

Sometimes you can't change what happens to you. 

Obviously there are many many times where you can take a situation into your own hands and change it for the better, but sometimes life places you in a situation that you have to accept. With my parent's passing, that's something I couldn't reverse or fix in some way. In the past I always had an option for the difficult events in my life. If I didn't get a job, there was always another I could apply to. If I got a bad grade on a test I could study harder to do better. Death is as final of a situation as it can get, and it was a hard lesson to learn and recognize that sometimes there is no way around what life can throw at you. This lesson has definitely made me 'let go' of some things that used to make me upset, because sometimes you just have to accept and move on to better things which leads me into...

It's easier to look on the positive side of things than you might think.

Again, with everything that's happened, I REALLY don't want to look at all the negatives around me. Every little thing in your life has a positive and negative aspect to it, and it takes some conscious effort to focus on the good, but once you start it gets easier to see it.

Night shift on your phone is a game changer.

Being a blogger, heck, being a person during this time means that I'm constantly on my phone. I discovered the night shift switch on my phone earlier this year and I turn it on about an hour before bed to help me start my sleep routine. I've always had a bit of trouble falling asleep at night, and this has definitely helped!

It's okay to enjoy what you like, don't let others tell you otherwise! 

I LOVE horribly bad movies (in fact, I'm currently watching the latest Bring It On movie and it is a complete disaster). They are so cheesy and stupid, but I find them incredibly entertaining. Some people might make fun of me for watching them, but I like it and that's what matters. This can go for anything from foods you like to eat, music you love, etc. As long as it isn't illegal or morally questionable, don't let other people dictate what you love!

Being a fur-mom is a HUGE responsibility.

Growing up with cats, I knew having pets came with a ton of responsibility, but it wasn't until I was 100% in charge of Henry that I completely understood. I worry about him like he is my actual child. Any sneeze, weird poop, or sound he makes that isn't normal is a concern for me. In the first month that I had him I'm sure the vet saw me more times than they can count because I was always worrying. Don't worry, I've relaxed a lot more since then. But seriously, if you're thinking about getting a pet, it's the best, but still a lot to handle!

Being nice goes a long way.

After this year, kindness is something I can really appreciate. If you're reading this, it's a high probability that you've shown kindness to me in some form. You never know what anyone is going through in their lives and there's never any harm in being nice!

Vitamins are your friend.

I started religiously taking daily vitamins this year, and I've really noticed a difference in my health! Normally I get sick a good number times per year just due to my genes, but the vitamins drastically reduced the times I got sick. They will definitely be sticking around in 2018!

Setting aside 30 minutes a day for yourself can change your mood.

There were so many days this year where I was stressed out, upset, sad, angry, etc. I thought that doing something for myself each day could possibly make a difference in how I was feeling, and it definitely did. Each day, even my super busy ones, I try to take at least a half hour to do something I enjoy (blogging doesn't count!) like reading, doing Buzzfeed quizzes, or cuddling with Henry. I have a whole post on similar self-care ideas if you'd like to check it out!

It's okay to be a little lost.

Whether it's your career path, field of study, dating, or just life in general, it's okay to not know what you're going to do or what you're headed for. Here's a little tip from practically everyone I've talked to: no one know's what they're doing. We're all just figuring out our way through life on a day to day basis. And that's FINE!

It's never too late or too early to start working on your goals.

The new year may be the beginning of many people's goal-starting season, but if you're not ready to start now, start in a month, or two, or whenever. Work on your goals at your own pace, and don't compare to other people's journeys!

What are your lessons from 2017?

Also, sorry that it's been so long since I've blogged! The holidays kind of crept up on me and were pretty stressful, so to take off some of the pressure I decided to take a break. Hope you all had a great Christmas and New Years!