Lessons Learnt in 2012

This year has been a year full of obstacles for me. Nevertheless, the obstacles come with many blessings, and I feel deeply grateful for everything that I have right now.

1) Pray and Have Faith
I have learnt a lot, and I believe I have grown, both spiritually and mentally. Spiritually, I have seen and experienced miracles from God, not in forms of unbelievable miracles like the blind can see and the cripple can walk (lol) but in tiny forms like getting my prayers answered, and seeing God's blessings in my life every day.

Whatever religion you believe in, it's always good to pray. Don't pray just when you need answers, but pray whenever you can. Pray just to thank Him, and He will always be there for us, no matter what. That's what I believe in. He has never failed me, and He has always helped me go through the many problems in my life. I am grateful that I have Him.

I will continue to pray every day, be it just to say thank you, or to ask for help. Prayer is key.

2) Lower Your Expectations
I used to have high expectations of everyone and everything, and I always get disappointed. It's like I don't learn at all from all the disappointments. I still have high expectations, especially when I know the person can do what he or she needs to do, and even more so if I believe in him or her.

I really need to lower my expectations and standards, I guess. I should not expect everyone to think like me, and I'm not boasting or anything, please forgive me, but some people do not have common sense. I do not know why, but common sense is not something you can learn or teach.

If I expect less, I will be less disappointed too. And less disappointments mean more happiness.

3) Don't Be Afraid to Cry
Yup, just cry. Bail like a baby. Cry your heart out. Do not be afraid to cry once in a while. Someone once told me that crying is a form of cleansing. Let the tears just run down your face. Imagine all your worries and sadness just flow out of your heart, leaving more room for happiness.

Do not be afraid to cry. It's perfectly okay to cry. It is also a form of healing, as long as you don't dwell in your sorrow. Once you're done crying, dry your tears and pick yourself up. Rise, higher than before, and know that you are now strong enough to face anything.

Just don't let your sadness control you. Remember that.

4) Forget Your Ego
Once in a while, forget your ego. I did. I had to ask for my father for some monetary help recently. I could have asked him years ago, but at that time, I didn't want to burden him. Since I was having monetary problems, things were not so good at home, and I had this thought that my parents did not care about what I do.

It turned out that he has always wanted to help me with my online business, but he did not know how to. When I asked him for help, I am glad I did. Now, I have enough funds to buy extra stocks for my business, and I have a better relationship with my father. I am so grateful that I turned to him for help.

Ego? What ego?

5) Always Think Positive
I was kind of a negative person when I was younger, but I've learnt that being negative is bad for me. I have learnt that by thinking positive, I would feel happier, worry less, and all the positive thoughts attract positive things into my life.

I am less angry, more patient, and more tolerant towards others, even those who tend to annoy me. I am also more grateful, and I count my blessings every day, no matter how small they are. I also surround myself with people who are positive, and avoid those who complains or whine too much.

I know it sounds selfish, but trust me, you would want to do things for yourself, because no one else would do it for you. You might as well do it for yourself, right now.

I am constantly learning new things every day, and I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to share my thoughts as well. Of course, I have learnt more things than what I have listed here, but these are the ones that I would really love to share. Thank you for taking time to read my post. Cheerio and stay positive!


Note: This post first appeared on MotivationMY.com [http://www.motivationmy.com/2012/12/2012reflections-by-debbie-phatelara.html]