It is not often that we forget our birthday or decide not to acknowledge the celebration in which we were born. The celebration does not stop on that day but continues everyday as something to be grateful for.
I have realized recently that I am guilty of not acknowledging and celebrating the creation of The Hatching Dream and the valuable life lessons it has brought me.
It has been an important part of realizing who I am and the direction I want to go in life.
I would like to share some valuable life lessons I have learned since beginning the self exploration journey through The Hatching Dream blog.
About myself
I have lived by programming my mind to bask in the fears I have let evolve throughout my life. Slowly, the process of deconstructing these fears has allowed me to experience moments and events that I thought were only fiction.
My realization has come to be that through my own self imposed challenges in my life, they are in fact opportunities that present themselves.
Learning to recognize these opportunities has been the most rewarding challenge.
Combining my strengths and willingness to accept accountability for my actions and decisions has resulted in a renewed integrity that I am living my life in balance with a greater sense of self.
Instilling my passions daily ensures I am maintaining a path of purpose to truly be “me” and ingrain a deeper connection in this world.
I have felt my confidence heighten in myself and others.
A common trust that my decisions and interactions with others will garner value in my life and theirs. Leaving a positive mark in the world around me. Something I always wanted and intended.
About my life
The comfort zone in which we live is only as expansive as we allow it to be. I have realized that no matter how much I wanted to grow as a person, I could not achieve this “wanting” without expanding my comfort zone. By doing this uncomfortable action, I have experienced major growth in many ways.
It has allowed me to view myself and life in a more realistic view. The critical judgments of myself and others were unnecessary. It stunted my growth to connect with myself and others. One of the things I value the most in life.
I am no longer living with jumbled puzzle pieces inside. Always trying to fit them together to feel whole. The mind, body and soul functioning together as one. I have not arrived at the daily euphoria of completeness yet but now see and feel what it is.
The realization that we have the ability to change our views and beliefs. This has altered my ability to enjoy greater moments in my work, family and personal pursuits that I have in life. Placing my focus on the positive and embracing the challenges to transform into opportunities.
Seizing opportunities and minimizing the indecisiveness brought on by fears.
About others
Connecting with others is something that is important to me. I am achieving this by employing my personality strengths of empathy, kindness and openness within my interactions. I am no longer afraid to be vulnerable when I display these traits.
It creates the opportunity to give and help others. I now see in order to help someone, the simple action of listening is often more important than bringing forth a call of action in the moment itself.
Listening involves being invested in the moment and blocking out everything to give full attention. Improving my ability to listen more intently allowed for improved connecting and resulted in each connection being more meaningful.
Celebrating in the joy others want to share. Genuinely tapping into my empathy to feel the joy they would like to share. This gives me the opportunity to relate to them on a deeper level.
About learning
It is a shame it has taken me to this point in my life to interpret the aforementioned realizations. However, I have come to accept it is an essential step to enjoy the learning in one’s life journey.
Being “aware” enables me to extract life lessons and values from each experience.
Taking in moments to notice things around me. Gaining more appreciation and gratitude for the many things we take for granted daily.
Understanding how I learn best. Tapping into my strengths and skills to gain the most I can from what I learn about myself, others and life.
Knowing what I want to learn and consistently evaluating if I am achieving it.
Being fully conscious of life lessons that are presented before me each day.
About the future
Holding onto high optimism for the future. Trusting in my decisions and choices that will guide me along my journey and shape a path to be grateful for in the present but appreciate in the future.
This will be accomplished by combining everything I am learning about myself.
- The things I value most in life
- Embracing my strengths to overcome challenges and create opportunities
- Maintain my integrity of creating the life I envision and the person I am striving to become. Not only to mold myself into a greater person, but contribute to the lives of others around me
- Taking note of my likes and dislikes to form the best possibilities to continually generate the most exciting moments each day
- Maintaining a gratitude of the smallest of things which end up being the greatest.
About the present
I would like to continue practice placing less dedication on what I want and more mindfulness on what I have.
Maintaining positivity in each moment. Being grateful that each moment has value.
Not taking time for granted. Discarding complacency and procrastination to bring me closer to the things that produce the greatest joys in my life.
Accepting accountability to take control of my actions and inactions.
About the past
Having a comprehensive understanding that my past does not define who I am now.
The struggles and mistakes have brought me to this moment to who I am now.
I now feel it is my responsibility to use my inherited learning in order to evolve to be the best person I can be.
Taking note of my passions that have evolved from those struggles throughout my life and being aware that I would not have realized these present and future opportunities without them.
Disbanding my fears that sometimes veer out from the shadowy thoughts in the past.
Forgiving myself of wrong decisions I may have made. Taking accountability and acknowledging mistakes I have made to ensure growth and wisdom have been gained from the experiences.
Today I can sincerely say I understand and love who I am, and enjoy the journey of who I am growing to become.
When you are present in the now and love who you are, each moment illuminates with joy”
– Kristin Larsen
What are some recent things that you can celebrate about yourself or your life ?
What are some life lessons you have learned recently that have had a great impact in your life?
Are you taking the time to celebrate who you are and the things you are creating (big or small) in your life right now?
Would you like to embrace your challenges to create opportunities? When do you plan to start?
Annie Lebrun
Great post! I had to take some time to let my answers brewed. One great lesson I learned recently is to say yes to opportunities and challenges, spontaneously embrace the changes that come with them and open my heart, mind, and soul to their outcomes. What does it look like in real? I take actions however how small instinctively. Often I have some doubts right after. Then remind me my why. Take a deep breath and shake my insecurity away and connect to my faith. I have chosen to live a life that finally looks like me. Second lesson: I’ve got the attitude, skills are secondary. And three: Don’t stay still, just do little things!
Kristin Larsen
Annie, thank you for sharing some of your valuable life lessons. Great life lessons and I can strongly relate to your #1 and #3. Trying to do those consistently in life as well. How very important our “why” is in our lives……