Year in review
We’re approaching the end of a quite awful year, with too much going on, inside and out. I’m sure I can easily find one or two people that can back me up on this. This year has left me speechless one too many times, where death seems to have appeared over the news more than ever, where frustration has taken over our hearts in such dark colors that it almost choked us.
Yes, 2016 has had its hands filled with blood and twisted situations, but the good part of it is that we began asking ourselves questions about our nature, about our inner world, about how we react in times of emotional turbulence. After all, every action we do in this world comes from a place within ourselves, therefore it’s safe to say it all starts with one person at a time.
Never stop learning
Personally, I’ve had a lot going on, a lot of self-exploration, trying to find answers to my own questions, about my world, about myself, about myself in this world, about the meaning of this and that, about love, about freedom..
A lot of questions still remain unanswered, but the load of lessons I have collected this year is a real treasure for me. Here are some highlights:
- I have learned that balance in all things really is the key to happiness. In love, in communication, in friendships, in work, in sleep, in eating, in working out, in thinking, in doing. Living in the extremes, sure, is fun & exciting, but it wastes a lot of energy, especially during these times when inner peace is one of the most precious resources we can have.
- I have learned that building a more simple life leaves a lot of room for mobility, for better breathing, for clarity, for easier changes.
- I have learned about commitment of the heart. When you really feel it, you give it all, right? Come rain or come shine.
- I have learned that love can be beautiful, even when it’s only present in my heart and travels a one-way road. I got myself used to always send it out into the world, no matter the consequences, for I know it will return in the most amazing, life-changing, universal way possible, from places I didn’t even look at, at the moment I will be ready to receive it.
- I have learned that, no matter how hard it gets, I need to show up for myself, because no one else will treat me better.
- I have learned that I can be my cruelest judge and my best friend, forever holding the truest truth and the realest love.
- I have learned that spending time with my own mind & soul, regularly, can become a wonderful source of inspiration & creativity. And peace.
- I have learned that yoga is so rewarding for the mind & for the body, that it transforms into an extraordinary metaphor for everything in my life. For example, try the warrior pose, see if you feel anything less than a warrior. I dare you. 🙂
- I have learned that sometimes saying “no” to others can mean a big “yes” to myself.
- I have learned that doing too much of too many things can only lead to exhaustion & frustration, far from displaying my amazing ability to multitask, sometimes at the expense of my own health. Less is more.
- I have learned that my time, my knowledge, my mind & my heart are the most powerful weapons I possess. I may not always know how to use them at their full potential, but I accept that it’s a work in progress.
- I have learned that I need to always pay attention to what my instincts tell me about where I should invest my energy and where to cut the cord. Trusting my inner voice and living by it is the grandest homage I can bring to myself.
- I have learned that all things happen at their own time & pace, no matter how anxious I get.
- I have learned that leading a creative life implies a whole lot of self-understanding, an intense self-discovery journey, that can hurt and surprise me sometimes, but it always becomes rewarding through the inspiration and wisdom it prevails.
- I have learned that I create my own happiness, for I am the leader of my path.
- I have learned that the choices I make – personally, professionally – are the pen & paper with which I write my own story. There will be good chapters, there will also be bad chapters. There will be unexpected plot twists, there will be amazing outcomes too. Nevertheless, it will be my story.
- Finally, I have learned to be grateful for my journey – for all my ups & downs, for all the success & disappointment I get, for my family, for my friends, for my challenges, for the easiness, for the books I read, for the movies I see, for the things I do with my own hands, for the things I receive from people, for all the time I dedicate to myself, for the time I dedicate to my family and to my friends, for the words that shape my work, for the immense power of my heart to keep beating, for the strength of my body, for my brain that makes all these connections, for music, for the unconditional love I have in my heart, for the people I welcomed in my life, for the moments of silence, for the freedom to be able to speak, to breathe, to live.
Thank you, Life. Thank you, 2016, for making our hearts react with love & wisdom, for a better, wiser year that lies ahead.
