In 2015, I learned so much about the importance of reflecting on myself and my life. This blog post is putting that to practice and will walk you through some of the lessons I’ve learned as a twenty year-old, and some advice I’d like to impart on you.

Looking back, I can confidently say that 2015 was the best year of my life and the one in which I’ve grown the most. But don’t let that fool you; 2015 was also the hardest year of my life. I’ve never laughed as much as I did this past year, nor have I ever broken down in tears as much as I did. I don’t think I’ve ever struggled in so many ways as I did this year. I had health issues from January until about April, got myself in some difficult situations in relationships and organizations, and felt lower than I had in a long time. But, as my friend reminded me a few months ago, sometimes you have to fall on your knees in order to look up. I believe that more than ever and am so grateful God brought me to that breaking point in order to be who I am now. Plus, I strongly believe that you best learn by doing (I guess that’s the 4-Her inside of me).

2015 was a year of struggles and challenges that have made me better and stronger. Although that sounds dark, I’m incredibly thankful for the hardships I faced because they taught me about myself, my faith, my relationships, and showed me the goodness of God. Because of the hardships I faced in 2015, I learned:

• The importance of honesty with yourself and with others
• The power of prayer
• What love is – on so many levels (family, friends, etc. )
• The need for a time to check out & how refreshing that can be
• The vitality of reflection
• Who I am as a Christian, student, friend, leader, and person
• How one person’s smile can change everything
• How to say no
• What matters at the end of the day is how you make a person feel, not every word of what you say
• The power of investing in people
• Doing less (organizations, jobs, etc.) is actually doing more for others – investing in deeper relationships and jobs while doing a better job
• What forgiveness really is
• Think big picture – petty drama won’t matter in 15 years

On a positive note, 2015 is when my dreams came true and I met some of the best people who have ever existed. I have made friends all around the country who have encouraged me, inspired me, and allowed me to grow in ways I never imagined I could or needed to. They’re my favorite parts of 2015. The love I felt this year was incomparable to anything I’ve ever experienced, and I couldn’t be more grateful for any of it. The world is full of beautiful people, and I see that every single day. Thanks for being one of them.

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Because of all that happened this year, I learned that I always am trying to improve myself because of my love for inspirational quotes and learning. So going along with that, I’d like to help you try to be a better you this year with a few pieces of advice that I wish I had been given in the last couple of years. Here are a few things that I’ve learned from my own journey and from the wonderful people in my life:

• You choose your attitude. What happens to you doesn’t define you, but how you react to it does.
• Don’t forget that you know yourself better than anyone else knows you – be comfortable with your decisions, because you’re the one who will have to live with them and their consequences.
• Never apologize for being who you are or for being honest. Both are a gift to the world.
• Know that you must love yourself and be healthy on your own in order to be in a healthy relationship– friendship, family, or relationship. “You will only accept the love you feel inside.” And a healthy relationship with anyone means that you are secure and strong in your individuality but are even better together- not with dependency on one another.
• Stand up for yourself. No one else will if you don’t.
• Be honest with yourself and others.
• Everyone is struggling in some way- but our struggles all look very different, so…
• Never compare your journey to another person’s. 
• You are not better than anyone, and no one is better than you. End of story. Simply put, “no one > you > no one“.
• Turn your phone off for at least an hour a day.
• Tell people how much they mean to you and how they’ve impacted you.
• Know where your mind wanders– then pursue that.
• Hand-written notes are awesome and go a long way. You’ll feel good writing one or receiving one.
• Don’t underestimate the impact you can have on a person with every interaction.
• Being a friend can be the hardest hat you wear. Don’t underestimate the value in a true friendship.

In case you’re curious of how I’m going to keep up this self-improvement trend, aside from the stereotypical “eat healthier, work out more, be positive” resolutions, I have a few I’m going to work on in 2016 to make it (and me) the best it (/I) can be. They are:

• Social media and my presence on it does not define me – spend time with nature and others before you spend time with social media
• Care less about what others perceive or think
• Make your relationships more Christ-like and centered – truly ask yourself “What would Jesus do?”
• Trust in God’s plan for you and where you’ll be, even when you have no clue where that is
• Don’t be afraid to smile at someone and to say hi
• Pray more – you’ll be glad you did
• Don’t wait to do something, because you’ll never do it

I’m going to BELIEVE in 2016: in God’s plan for me for now and in the future, in other people and their abilities, in myself and what I can do, in God more deeply and His strength, in the power of prayer, and in the power of loving others.

Happy new year. Stay golden.