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This section of ‘what I learned’ was one of the hardest. It took some serious thought but it also forced me to take a hard look at myself and allow me to appreciate things about my personality that some people (including myself) have consider flawed.

  1. I’m Moody

But that doesn’t need to be anything short of awesome. I’ll admit I’m prone to rudeness. I’m not afraid to say that some people have been close to frightened when I don’t get my morning coffee. But, sometimes I also get sad. Other times I might get mad. And even though you may think that those things are negative, think again. Emotion (good or bad) is a result of caring and even though my outlet might not always be the best, at the end of the day it’s because I care that my emotions can be overpowering sometimes. At the end of the day I appreciate my ability to care and love the most.

  1. I’m Really Not That Bad

Sure – my body could be better. I wish my skin was always clear. I wish I wasn’t always so sensitive. But I’m me and me is okay. She’s maybe even more than okay – sometimes she’s downright awesome. In some ways I’m irreparably flawed but most of time I’m pretty darn great. I’m compassionate and daring, I’m strong willed and like to try new things. And even though I’m far from perfect – I can rock a red gown and a pair of high heel shoes in any situation – shamelessly.

  1. I’m Strong

And I don’t mean strong-willed (although I’m that too!). Growing up has its own challenges and experiences, many of which are just part of getting older. Dealing with a crisis just isn’t easy when you’re a teenager. In fact, it’s not easy when you’re an adult either. But one thing I have learned from myself is that I’m strong and I can be strong for others if I need to be. I’m there to put the pieces back together and let everyone know that it’ll be alright. I’m a fixer. Sometimes it can be a curse, but most of the time it’s worth more than I realize.

Of course, I know that one day I will be relying on others to be strong for me. There will come a time in the future when I’m at the age where I may need others to make decisions for me. Mainly, for health reasons. I’ve seen my parents do it with my grandparents. Encouraging them to move into a senior living center like Chelsea assisted living to ensure they get the care and interaction they need in their golden years. I saw it take all their strength, but they did it, and I know they are stronger for it. I’d like to think that I will be this strong when I may be required to do it for my parents and my children with me. I’ve got this though!

  1. I Can Do Anything

My life has been particularly hard. Growing up was exceptionally easy; adulthood has proven to be more challenging than I anticipated. I’ve made some serious errors which I’ve now learned have consequences. That being said, all those times that I’ve been at my lowest and just didn’t feel like I could fix the mess I’d made – I did. One day I just got up and went to work at fixing the chaos and eventually, things got better. Sometimes we underestimate ourselves – I certainly do. But being at your low is just the beginning of getting back up to your highest.

  1. Life Sucks – Get Over It

It’s true. Life can be just overwhelming. The Verve said it right – You’re a slave to the money then you die. Now that we’ve got all that negativity out of our systems, there’s 2 ways you can deal with this realization. You can A) Spend the rest of your life sulking about it or B) Understand it, deal with it, and make it better. Life is hard. It’s supposed to be. Anything worth having isn’t something you’re going to get easily. Bad things happen for a reason; to teach you. But it’s entirely up to you to decide whether or not you want to learn from those lessons. If you choose to, life will go from ‘sucking’ to ‘pretty alright’ and one day it will become ‘completely awesome.’

In the New Year I decided to take some time to sit down and think hard about all the reasons I was unhappy. I wrote them all down in a journal and broke each item down into smaller, individual issues, that were easier for me to digest. It wasn’t the most fun thing to do on a Saturday Night, but once I did it, things become clear to me, and I started to see what some of my problems were. Breaking down my life into smaller portions made it easier for me to make changes. Writing this particular post about ‘Me’ was a humbling experience. Had I written it several months ago the context may have been different. Now, having been through some challenges and overcoming them, I feel much happier and in control of my life. If this journey of reflection has taught me anything, it’s that we never stop growing and we never stop learning, but most importantly, the harder it gets, the harder you will work, and one day it will eventually pay off – you just need to let it.

What are some lessons you’ve learned from being you?