Looking Back, Moving Forward.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

As 2016 draws to a close I, of course, had to be a little basic and write about the past year and the year to come. First of all, 2016 was, and I’m sure many people can agree, a very bittersweet year. Some of the best moments are in the slideshow above. The photos depict the people who are important to me and some of the key events that occurred over the past year, such as performing for multiple events for Super Bowl 50, the transition from high school, and my own personal progression. Being a bittersweet year, 2016 definitely provided a plethora of valuable lessons, coming from both positive and so-called “negative” experiences. Here are some of the things that I personally took away from 2016 that I hope can help anyone who reads this not only for the upcoming year but for life in general:

• Things always get better. After being depressed for over three years, I can honestly say that life does get better. For anyone who thought 2016 was rough, 2017 will be better. In fact, tomorrow can be better. You don’t have to wait for the calendar to magically flip to make your life better. Change your perspective and outlook and things will become that much better.

• Don’t take anything for granted. Whether it is life, friends, or a 3-1 lead (terrible for putting this in smh), nothing is ever guaranteed.

• Relating back to the last point, people tend to most regret the things that they did not do rather than the things that they did do. With that being said, don’t be scared or hesitant to give someone or something all that you have. Make sure you say what you want to say and do what you want to do when the opportunity presents itself because, for all we know, the opportunity may not ever present itself again. Speak your mind, tell people how you feel, take risks, and escape your comfort zone. This applies to relationships, careers, adventures, etc.

• Don’t sweat the small stuff. Ask yourself whether what you are stressing over is going to matter in 5 years or even the next 5 days. If not, don’t worry too much about it. This can even apply to things such as school. Now, before people think I’m saying it’s okay to slack off or that I am calling school “small”, that’s not what I am saying at all. In this context, a grade is just a letter. Although it may be a very important letter in some cases, if you can genuinely say that you put your best effort forward, do not worry too much about it. If you can honestly tell yourself you tried your best, that is all you can ask of yourself. So, the next time you’re studying for a test, remember that it really isn’t life or death. In the long run, grades are just letters that evaluate your obedience and short-term memory. GRADES DO NOT DEFINE YOUR LEVELS OF INTELLIGENCE NOR SUCCESS.

• Hustle and hard work are key. These are the two factors that you can control if you feel like you can’t control anything else. If you are passionate about something, make sure you do everything necessary to chase that passion if that is really what you want to do. You control how much you hustle and how bad you want to accomplish your goals or make your life better.

• Your circumstances do not control you. While some people live with circumstances and conditions that may be more preferable than others, be grateful for anything that you have and work with it. Remember that you are in control of what you do. Although we may not be able to control life as a whole, we are responsible for how we respond to everything that life throws at us.

• If you stay ready, you won’t ever have to worry about getting ready.

• Push positivity. By doing this, not only will it change the lives of people around you, but it will also change your own life. Positivity really does go a long way. Pushing positivity, even if you have to force it some days, will alter your perspective on life and you’ll see that things aren’t so bad after all.

• Always take the time to step away and focus on your mental, physical, and spiritual health. While most people certainly do live busy lives and think they “don’t have time” to focus on their mental, physical, and spiritual health, there’s always time. Most people just tend brush off their health, which doesn’t make sense a lot of the time. People risk their health to work jobs for money that they have to end up using again to pay for their health because they refuse to take even ten minutes in a day to listen to what their body needs. If you’re feeling stressed or tired, don’t add to that with more stress or tiresome activities. Listen to what you need, take care of yourself, and go back at it. Make sure to balance time for relaxation and hustle. Hustling when you aren’t able to will only be detrimental. Push yourself but listen to your needs.

• Waking up early makes a HUGE difference. Although waking up early may not be the most pleasant thing to do, it definitely pays off. By waking up early, a lot more can be done by simply just adding more time to your day. Personally, I wake up around 4:45 every morning and this is where I focus on the three different aspects of my health. I go through my morning routine (which I won’t get into here) and get myself ready to hustle the rest of the day. At the end of the day, I try to sleep by midnight. Now, I’m not saying to get a minimal amount of sleep and do what I do, but waking up early rather than sleeping until 11 AM really does make a huge difference. Remember to listen to your body if you do decide to try this out. It definitely isn’t the easiest thing to do, but it is worth it in terms of accomplishing goals.

• Be careful who you trust; People can switch up with the blink of an eye. Know who’s true to you and keep them around.

• Forgive but don’t forget. Personally, I’ve had people switch up on me and lose my trust this past year. If this happens to you, do yourself a favor and forgive those who apologize rather than holding grudges. It makes life easier and more simple. Forgive them but don’t forget what happened. Be smart and use everything as a learning moment.

• Build connections and relationships. Many times, opportunities come from not what you know but, rather, from who you know. Aside from this, stay connected for the very sake of being human.

• Be empathetic and see things from multiple perspectives. Live with an open mind.

• Never let the noise of social media get to you. After all, you can literally disconnect from social media with the click of one button. It really is that simple.

• “Only when the last tree has been cut down, the last fish been caught, and the last stream poisoned, will we realize we cannot eat money.” Enjoy the finer things in life.

I could definitely keep going, but the list wouldn’t end and it would get even more boring. These are just some of the lessons that I picked up on throughout the year. At this time of the year, a lot of people are looking ahead to 2017 and say that they are going to change their lives with their New Year’s Resolution. Personally, I do not believe in New Year’s Resolutions. As we all know, most people only stay true to their resolution for the first few days, maybe even the first month if they really feel like it. Personally, I believe that if you truly want to change your life, you can do it now. You do not need to wait until the new year to change your life. Do it now. You can literally have a June 2 or September 8 resolution; your resolution does not have to suddenly come up at the beginning of a new year. However, if you do decide to set a resolution for the new year, more power to you. I just hope you stick to it. Happy New Year and I hope everyone has an even better 2017 than 2016!