New Year's Eve

[sasquatchsocks]

2013 has been one year filled with a ton of ups and downs. Despite all the challenges I've faced this year, I'm still thankful for how everything has turned out. I'm thankful for the fact that I'm still in university in Manchester, for good health, for the roof over my head, for food in my fridge and cupboards, for my friends around me, for every little thing we tend to take for granted. Also for the things further away, for my family, for my friends scattered all around the world, for my home, the list can go on.

2013 has made me a much stronger individual and I'm proud that I've been able to carry on with life and not been a mess. Without elaborating too much on what went on behind these lessons, these are a list of random things that I've learnt or sayings that have been reaffirmed in 2013:

• Man can always propose but God will always dispose
• God always has His plans
• Always try/keep trying
• Compromise
• It's not always about 'I' - consciously aim to start conversations with anything but 'I' and be amazed at the difference it makes
• Pray and always have faith
• Worry is useless
• Be less uptight and go with the flow
• Disconnect from social media and be free
• Be better than yourself yesterday - your only competition should be yourself

I don't know how to feel about 2014 being so close. I do feel excited because after all it is a new year and that means a new start. Without a doubt, I have a lot of fear because of the uncertainty that 2014 brings. While I know God has a plan (which isn't quite obvious now), 2014 is the year that I will be forced into adulthood - but of course I will still be young at heart all my life. Resolutions seem like the most sensible thing right now but they become irrelevant at the end of January. I shall nonetheless attempt to write some, but more importantly and of help to the entire of 2014 would be to list down some quotes that will constantly remind me of where I want to go in life and how I would like to lead it:

Resolutions:

• Read more
• Stop making excuses (stop lying to myself)
• Don't force myself into situations I know I dread
• Speak/plan/think less, do more
• Live my life
• Love more, care for others more, be kind to everyone around me
• Stop doubting myself
• Not to forget to stop and appreciate life
• Be open minded

A few of my favourite quotes (there are too many!):

• “What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?” Vincent van Gogh
• “Failure happens all the time. It happens every day in practice. What makes you better is how you react to it.” Mia Hamm
• “Thinking will not overcome fear but action will.” W. Clement Stone
• "The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt." Sylvia Plath
• “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” Steve Jobs

Hopefully the above quotes help and inspire you as well, as they surely would in 2014.

Happy New Year everyone! :) x