Not Easily Broken-2011 in Retrospect

Ms. Badu said it best. “…I think I made a wrong turn back there somewhere…tried to move but I lost my way…” Yes I’ve stumbled, lost my way, lead others to follow me even when I was lost because yes misery loves company and I cried, how I cried in 2011. But without all these tests I’d have No testimony. It’s hard to hear people say “it will be okay” when you’re going through something difficult. I’ve heard “it will be okay” more times this year, but you know what, it was and still is okay because I’m still standing. I wasn’t built to break.

I’ve learned so much about communication, marriage-relationships in general, trust, and faith this year that it was hard to write only 10 lessons learned, but for the sake of time I narrowed it down to the lessons that really hit me hard. In No particular order this is what I took from 2011.

1. People will never learn how to treat you if you don’t tell them. We cannot go through life expecting people to read our minds.
2. If someone does something once in error, it’s a mistake, but if they keep doing the same thing it stops being a mistake and becomes a choice. Constant choices become habits. Be careful of your choices.
3. Listen to that little voice inside you; it’s God trying to talk to you. Don’t ignore Him, He wants a relationship with you and you NEED a relationship with Him.
4. Life is not about people who act true to your face, it’s about people who remain true behind your back. Watch for those who show their true colors when your back is turned, these are the people who CANNOT be trusted.
5. Be careful of your words because they most certainly WILL live in your future. Choose your words wisely and remember you cannot take words back, once said those words remain a permanent and constant reminder about how you felt at that moment in time.
6. Embrace your struggles as you do your successes, struggles are the best teachers life have to offer.
7. You will only truly prepare for a storm after being in one or witnessing the affects of one. We gain wisdom from our experiences. So there are NO failures, there’s ALWAYS a lesson to be learned.
8. Be kinder to yourself, no one is perfect and we will continue to make mistakes-it’s part of living.
9. Stop allowing other people into your marriage/relationship, not everyone deserves to be privy to what happens in your life because not everyone’s intentions are good.
10. FORGIVE in order to be FORGIVEN-it’s so hard, but it MUST be done.

FINSH this year off STRONG. Nothing can be done about the days behind us; so leave the pieces on the floor and move on. We have less than 5 days to head in a new direction with our relationships, our emotions, and our lives in general. Let’s not take old baggage into the New Year, let go of the pain from 2011 and imagine it gone. Remember everyday you wake up you are given another day to get it right.

God bless you all in the upcoming year and I hope you all take inventory for the stock you had in 2011.

Love, Live, Life
Nicole