As I mentioned in my post last week, there has been a lot going on over the past year. In an effort to take care of myself, I had to make some adjustments and taking a rather extended break from this blog was one of them.

I first started this blog as a way to keep busy and have some fun while I was waiting for surgeries and to heal from my accident. It was definitely a much needed outlet that served me well!!

This last year, was a time of growth and change. I finished my Masters program and I started to take back my life.

I embarked on a series of new experiences all of which came with their own lessons. That’s the thing about life. It is always teaching us something.

Life Lessons Learned

One of the main things that I learned was that things don’t always turn out the way that you thought they would. Or even the way that you think they should. And that’s okay. While it may be disappointing at times, usually when things don’t go according to “plan” it’s because it’s following a plan that we aren’t even aware of.

People will come and go out of your life. Relationships change and people who you thought would always play a huge role in your life will either leave completely or take a step back so that someone new can enter your life. There is this expression that I have been thinking about a lot lately. “People come into our lives for a reason, a season or a lifetime” and overtime we can figure out which one it is.

A Reason, a Season, or a Lifetime

People who come in for a reason it is usually to meet a need. They support you through a time when it is needed and then once the need has been filled they move on.

People who come into our lives to teach us a season, bring you experience and teach you something. Once again, they are only here for a season and then it is time to move on.

Lifetime people are the people who help you build an emotional foundation. You take the lessons you have learned and you put them into your relationship.

The problem comes when we think that the person who is only here for a reason or a season is meant to be there for a lifetime. This goes back to my earlier point about things not turning out the way that we thought they would.

Over my life I have had people come and go that I thought would be around longer. Maybe they come into your life during a difficult time and they help to support you through it. Or maybe you come into their life during their time of need. It’s never easy to see someone who matters go. Looking back at your time together can help you to gain perspective and to see the true purpose behind their presence in your life. We grow from difficult times and experiences. Moving on and moving forward can feel like the hardest thing that you have to do. The thing is you often don’t realize at the time that you have the strength to make the hard choices and to do what is best for you.

Because that’s the thing. You are stronger than you realize. There is nothing that you can’t handle once you learn to let go and to just be.

The power in Letting Go

Letting go of expectations of the future and what your path looks like can be one of the hardest things that you do. My life has definitely has some twists and turn along the way. Each bump in the road shows you how much inner strength you possess. You’ve survived everything that life has thrown at you so far so how could you not survive what is coming next?

Practicing mindfulness can help you during these times of uncertainty. It teaches you how to step back and to let go of expectations.

I started to get caught up in the expectations I was placing on myself with regards to my future career and my health. I was also allowing other people’s expectations for me to start to become part of the voice inside my head.

It took a lot of work, and diving back into my meditative practice to step back and quiet the noise. Your path is just that, yours. No one else can tell you how you should be doing things and what kind of timeline you should be operating on. Everyone has their own path that they need to follow. When we let go of striving and expectations we can open ourselves up to discovering who we are meant to be.

My challenge to you is to take some time to reflect on your life and any lessons that you have learned in the past year. I would love for you to share them in the comments below.

As always, thank you for taking the time to stop by!