"Whatever happened over the past year, be thankful for where it brought you. Where you are is where you are meant to be."
A year of learning. A year of growing.
What a year it was.
As we find ourselves looking forward to what's next and the promise that a new year holds, it's important to spend a little time looking back. How easy it is to move ahead, making resolutions, planning your 'new year, new me' goal, and forget about all the lessons learned in the past 52 weeks.
Each year is full of memories, experiences, and life lessons. Although different for each person, each year, you come out of it knowing a little more than you did before. To reflect on the year we said goodbye to, I asked a few people what they learned in 2015. Some surprised me, some made me laugh, but most made me think.
Of the 7 billion people in the world, here is what 52 of them learned in the year 2015...
"It's okay to take a step back from everything to take care of yourself. I learned that family doesn't always mean biological- sometimes your true family consists of not blood related people." -Female, 19
"Friendships become not just a want but a greater need as one ages." -Female, 45
"God's timing is perfect. While questioning is a perfectly normal human response, because we are flawed, trusting in His plan and that it is greater than we could ever imagine, is the most important thing we can do to continue moving forward with joy in our lives." -Male, 22
"I've learned about the adult life. Budgeting is harder than it sounds and bills are a pain to keep up with. On the bright side, getting to live with a couple of my best friends is all worth it in the end." -Female, 20
"If you need a breakthrough, you must first start to fully believe that the future is going to be bigger than the past. I had a lot of short-term disappointments this year, and the only way I was able to keep moving forward despite the setbacks was because of the vision that I created. Looking forward to what could be, makes life that much more enjoyable." -Male, 20
"When life gets hard, just keep on walking. Life's probably getting you ready for something much worse." -Female, 22
"Moms can see fake friends and crappy boys before you can." -Female, 21
"The relationships you make in life are important. You can make friends halfway around the world that you have spent a total of six weeks with and those relationships are deeper and stronger than relationships you have had your whole life here at home. Those are divine appointments, those relationships are special. Most people won't ever get to experience that. I'm very thankful for those God-appointed relationships." -Male, 60
"Make your own path in life, don't follow others." -Female, 11
"You have to stop playing the victim and take responsibility for situations that didn't work out the way you wanted them too. That's the only way to learn from them and move on." -Male, 20
"If you can remodel an entire house together without killing each other, you must be in love. Also, there is nothing more hilarious than listening to your preschooler tell you about their day at school." -Female, 31
"It sucks to grow up, like seriously sucks." -Female, 22
"No matter how much I want something and how much I work and put into achieving it, it could be stripped from my life in a matter of seconds if I am a poor steward of it." -Male, 25
"You learn who your friends for life are when it's hardest to be a friend." -Female, 23.
"Family is one of the most important things. Spending more time with them has shown me how important they are and how much they care, even though I am an adult." -Male, 20
"Timing most likely will never be on our side, but you have to trust in it. There are reasons why things don't work out. Not only has it made me close company with the past, where I'm reminded of things that didn't work out, but it makes me excited for the future because I'll learn the reasons why they didn't." -Female, 20
"Seeing how Christ has revealed His plan for mine and my husbands life. Not by putting it right in our face or on a billboard but by revealing it slowly day by day as we are obedient. It has been really cool to see his provision through our constant worry and anxiety." -Female, 23
"After my fiance cheated and told me she didn't love me, I was sent into a battle with depression, confidence issues, and self blaming. In terrible situations, God will bring positive outcomes. I've grown much closer to my family, friends, and Christ since this. If you trust in the Lord he will deliver in some way. It may not be what you expect, but his path is always the correct one." -Male, 21
"To count and make friends." -Female, 4
"Don't take the people you love for granted and don't look for acceptance and love from things or people other than God." -Female, 20
"When an opportunity to travel the world presents itself, you should take it. Regardless of things as petty as money and responsibilities. Seeing the world changes your perspective, it gives you knowledge and culture." -Male, 21
"We are responsible for our own happiness. If something isn't working or you want to change, you, and only you, hold the keys to those doors." -Female, 22
"Creating real relationships with others improves your effectiveness as a boss, a mentor, and a Christian." -Male, 36
"Growing up is not as scary as you think it is." -Female, 14
"You never know what you say can influence those around you." -Male, 66
"When you are weak in faith rely on the faith of others, let their prayers hold you up. God knows the number of our days, so live each day bringing Him honor and glory. Really listen to people. Examine your heart, examine your motives, hold them up to the light to see if they are pure. Talk to Jesus constantly, seriously in all things go to Him first. -Female, 46
"People will come and go but there are a few who stay with you through thick and thin. I'm thankful I found my few." -Female, 24
"Life is short, don't take things for granted." -Male, 21
"Middle school is a lot harder than elementary school." -Female, 12
"Let go of friends who aren't encouraging your relationship with Jesus." -Female, 15
"This was the year I learned that having money and getting sleep and living a really tidy and organized life is overrated. Making your dreams come true with the people you love is really the only thing you should be working on when you're as young as I am." -Male, 20
"We only have four years to make memories, friendships, mistakes, triumphs, and just have fun. We don't always do things right,but college is a time for trial and error and time to truly discover ourselves." -Female, 19
"In the blink of an eye, everything can change. So forgive often and love with all your heart. You may never know when you may not have that chance again." -Female, 66
"I lost an important relationship and gained more out of it than I thought I ever would. I have more friends than I did before. I'm thankful for who is in my life now and wouldn't change anything from this year. Some things that seem to be tragic always have a silver lining . I learned to always look forward and hope for the best, even when things seem to go south." -Male, 21
"Never walk in a science lab, too much dissecting going on." -Female, 12
"Don't let everything hurt you so much, things happen in life whether you like it or not." -Female, 17
"In life, you have to focus on your successes first before you can help others." -Male, 20
"All those adults, doctors, and commercials that told me to wear sunscreen any time I was in the sun, weren't kidding." -Female, 61
"Love yourself, give yourself a break sometimes, live a life you love and love the life you live because it's not going to slow down just because of one bad day. One bad day doesn't mean you will have a bad life." -Female, 17
"Regardless of how difficult it is to make certain decisions, sometimes you just have to make them. If someone only brings you down, you need to let that person live their own life so you can live yours. Although acting on that decision can be incredibly difficult, and you may even hurt that person, it is better emotionally for you to have that peace in your life and let that person go." -Male, 19
"No matter how inconsistent the situations are in my life, there will always be a constant, the Lord. Run to him always. I can't please everyone and in the midst of trying to do so I wear myself out, so just do the best you can and move on. Friends are the home away from home and the family members I never knew I had." -Female, 22
"Don't make people laugh hard in the lunch room, because milk will come out of their nose." -Male, 11
"Cherish not only the good moments but also the ones that aren't enjoyable. Those experiences molded me into the person I am today. I not only learned to soak in and enjoy each moment but I also learned to recognize the people that chose to spend their precious time with me. No amount of time is guaranteed, therefore I learned no moment should be taken for granted." -Male, 20
"It's okay to let go of things. Anger, objects, even close friends and to start over because in the end everything will fall into place exactly how it is supposed to. Be positive, learn to love, and enjoy your life." -Female, 19
"Love everyone around you because you never know which moment might be your last with someone." -Male, 20
"Boys suck. They will never understand us as women, the subtle hints we drop, or what the words "I'm fine" really mean. But that's okay because if you are really lucky you will find one person that sucks a little bit less than all the others. And on days that they suck more than others, it's okay because you love them anyways, and only God knows why. Life is short and our time here on earth is limited, so spend time with the people who annoy you the least." -Female, 21
"I've learned that there is no magic pill or beauty regiment or potion that can keep one from aging so you might as well go with it." -Female, 40
"You can never be happy living your life to make others happy." -Male, 28
"Love unconditionally. Whether you hold back or dive in head first, you are still capable of being hurt. Don't try to starve yourself of a great love out of fear. And love everyone you come in contact with." -Female, 20
"How you treat individuals really makes a difference. Every little thing truly does matter. Mistakes happen and you learn from them but something beautiful can come from it." -Male, 23
"People will always let you down, but God never does or ever will. Also, grand-kids are the greatest invention ever. It really is true that the older you get the faster time flies."-Female, 52
"Hard work is never easy, because then it would be easy work. So make it hard." -Male, 10
"I hate asking for help, but when it comes down to it, the people that love you don't care about the details. They care about you. This year was all about struggling so hard with things that I thought no one else would ever fully understand, and finding out that in our own little ways, everyone is struggling. Confide in the people that you love." -Female, 20
A new year.
A time for starting over, making new memories, and leaving some things or people behind. There is something so refreshing and optimistic about a new year. It's full of possibility and promise. A time to forget what hurt you in the last year and look forward to what's to come. Here's to another year of mistakes made and lessons learned.
"The best time for new beginnings is now."
I hope your year is full of adventure, laughs, and a little too much chocolate...
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