Lessons of 2018 | ya girl's back :)

So, um...hi. It's been awhile. Over a year, to be more exact...and I am so sorry. I didn't expect it to be this long, but I needed all the time I could get tbh. I've been super busy, but I've really missed this. I've really fallen out of writing though, and I'm not gunna lie, it's something I've felt really off without, but can't seem to get back into. I've literally just been rereading my old pieces, LOL.

I am determined though, starting with my blog. I'm gunna do my best to post when I can, to get my creative juices flowing again. It may be a bit rocky at first, but hey, life's a journey, right? If you've come this far on the journey with me, thank you. You're a real one :) And if you're just finding this...welcome! Join me on my journey if you like, I'd be honoured to have you along!

With that said, here are some lessons I learned over the year 2018, also commonly referred to as the year I didn't blog.

Lessons of 2018

• you always have a choice. I know it may seem sometimes like you don't have a choice in the matter, and that you just have to do the right thing, whatever it is. But trust me: you do. And the right thing may not necessarily be the thing you're thinking of - sometimes, the right thing is the so-called 'selfish' thing. It's doing what is best for you. So don't be afraid to do just that.
  
• along those lines: you must take responsibility for your choices. If you choose to do something, no matter what it might've been, you had a choice. So instead of complaining about your choice (or maybe lack of), recognize that ultimately that decision was up to you, and deal with it accordingly. That realization also makes it so much easier to make the right choices - you suddenly become willing to do what you weren't.
  
•  find yourself a group of friends who truly make you happy and with whom you can be yourself. Seriously, though this might be pretty darn cliché, it's also pretty darn true. Do you know how good it feels to be with a group of people whom you genuinely love and have fun with? It's worth it. If you can find those people, life will be so much better, I promise.
  
• to do lists are your best friend - it feels so good to check them off, and certainly works to keep up with what you have to do! I use them all the time, in order to keep my life together and (fairly) organized, especially this year.
  
• it's okay to not be okay. The bad times make the good even better, especially since you can't have sunshine without the rain! Accept your feelings. Feel them. And also remember, there are people who care about you. People who want to help. Let them. Life is not meant to do on your own. I mean, what good are the good times if there's no one good to share them with?
  
• time doesn't always matter. Sure, it's great to have a friend you've known since you were 3 or 4 years old. But sometimes, the closest friendships can be developed over months, even weeks. And it's important to recognize that these are just as important and valid as the longer ones, and sometimes, even moreso. You don't have to have known someone for years to consider them your best friend. Remember, quality over quantity! :)

Life is many things, but if there's one thing I know for sure, it's wonderful. And it is one of my goals for this year to strive to make the most of every minute. I recently heard some song lyrics (I can't for the life of me find the song - if anyone knows it please let me know!) that said something along the lines of "soon the present is going to become the past, so we have to make it last" and that really hit me hard. Time moves quickly, and doesn't stop for anyone.

So here's to making 2019 last. Every moment of it.

See you all very soon. :)

'Till next time!
~Iris xoxo