The Practical Free Spirit

I usually write a blog post around this time that is about my theme for the year.

I spent some time this morning going through old blog posts and thinking about theme ideas. And, all in all, this has been a really good year for me. REALLY good.

List of possible 2015 themes:

Peaches.

Look, I’m happy!

Cool, I think I’m going to go take care of myself now.

Yeah, I got this.

Thanks for being my friend, you rock!

No thanks.

The important thing is the work.

Milkshakes! Pancakes! Peanut butter pie!

Shake it off.

This is one picture of happiness.

Hmm, which one of these should I use as the headline of this post? Decisions, decisions.

But in all seriousness, just because I had a positive year doesn’t mean I didn’t still learn a lot. Here are some of the things I learned:

1. Dancing helps with my physical health in the medium term.
2. Also it’s freaking awesome.
3. Also it automatically improves my mood.
4. My apartment is my sanctuary, and as such, it’s worth every cent I pay in rent.
5. Sprained toes take a really long time to heal.
6. Sometimes taking a break from networking can be beneficial to my mental health.
7. Because it’s the actual writing that matters the most.
8. Just because I’m afraid is not a reason not to do a thing. It’s also not a reason to automatically do a thing.
9. I really like my friends. Well, okay, I guess I already knew this, but I get constant reminders.
10. I like to see as many friends as possible at least once a month. By the time I’m going three months without seeing them, I am less happy.
11. Finding meaning in your life is super important.
12. Life after getting an agent is pretty much the same as life before. Except without the endless querying.
13. Sometimes it is really hard to let go.
14. Being gentle with yourself doesn’t mean you automatically stop learning from your mistakes. It more often means you’re not damaging your self-esteem so much in the process.
15. People are different, and they pay different energy costs for different things. And that’s okay.
16. Being indirect often does not pay off. And at least with directness you know you said what you wanted to say.
17. But that doesn’t mean it’s not also important to strive for kindness. You can be direct and kind at the same time.
18. Sometimes you’re not going to say what the other person wants to hear. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t say it.
19. We all have quirks and eccentricities. Learning to accept this is important. About yourself too, not just about other people.
20. Some comedy is actually funny. Yes, I know you already knew this. Now I do too!
21. But some comedy is still not that funny at all.
22. The necessity of sometimes having to wait isn’t going to go anywhere.
23. Having a lot of lemonade in my fridge is wonderful.
24. So much that’s going on has very little to do with me. I learn this every year. The trick, then, is to figure out what does have to do with me and focus on that.
25. When you can make the choice to think positively, that’s the right choice to make. When you can’t, allowing that to be okay too can sometimes help you get back to a happier frame of mind more quickly.
26. It’s important to allow other people to make their own mistakes. Even when it’s painful to watch. But if it’s too tiring to watch, it’s okay to take a little break.
27. Differentiating between short-term and long-term problems can save a lot of energy.
28. Mashed potatoes taste better when you add a lot of butter.
29. Everyone has problems. People who understand this tend to be good people to have around.
30. Loving yourself is still one of the most important things you can learn how to do.

What did you learn this year?