I’m using the final day of the year as a day of reflection, a chance to reset, and create goals for the new year. As I reflect back, I always write a blog post to share my most valuable lessons I learned.

The following are four of my most memorable, and most influential lessons that I learned throughout 2019. All these lessons focus on practicing self-compassion, gratitude, and positive well-being. Through sharing these four lessons I hope to inspire you to take control of 2020 and continue to live YOUR life to the fullest every single day 💛🥰

1. You can’t pour from an empty cup

In order to serve others, you need to serve yourself first. The reality is that we often run around giving other people our time, our energy, and our resources without replenishing and refilling our cup. This often happens to self-less, caring people who try to please everyone and help out when they can. However, when your cup is empty you need to stop pouring or else you risk burning out and exhausting yourself.

Give yourself the time to regenerate energy, and find balance before you start pouring from your cup again. Be smart by knowing when to say “yes” to commitments and when to say “no,” know your limits, and give yourself time to rest. 😊

2. Comparison is the thief of joy

Many of us use social media from the moment we wake up to almost every hour of the day. We become subject to viewing the constant highlight reels of friends, family, and even people we do not know. While mindlessly scrolling we also subconsciously compare the images of others to our own life. By doing so, we may accidently begin to minimize our own joy and compare our lives to that of others.

At the end of this year I began to consciously decrease the amount of time I spent scrolling through Instagram, which decreased the amount of time I was subconsciously comparing my life to the perceived life of others. I noticed a positive difference in my day, my mentality, level of kindness toward myself, and my desire to share all of my own highlights and just enjoy the moment. ✨

3. Open to the opportunity, not attached to the outcome

This is a quote I heard from Tanya Rad, the co-host of On-Air with Ryan Seacrest, and co-host of the “Scrubbing In with Becca Tilly and Tanya Rad” podcast. In the spring of 2019 I began to use this quote as my mantra, specifically when I would go on dates with new guys. This manta allowed for my mind to stay open without being attached to a desirable outcome post-date.

Although I used this quote while dating, I also extended it to all aspects of my life. This quote can honestly switch around your perception and provide a lesser chance of letting yourself down and a greater chance of not missing a potential opportunity due to fear of the outcome. Write this quote down and give it a try in 2020! 💕

4. There are ways to help manage your mental health and feel in-control

2019 was a mental disaster for me. I battled the beast that is anxiety attacks, and the villian that is panic attacks. I thought I would never come out on the other side, BUT I DID AND SO CAN YOU! I believe that everyone deals with some level of mental illness, and that we can all benefit from learning different ways to cope through those more challenging times.

Try different coping mechanisms (eg/ mindfulness apps, essential oils, relaxation techniques etc.) to help teach your brain how to modify thoughts and silence the voice that makes you believe you are stuck in this mental state forever. Take the time to learn how to make your darkest of days even a little brighter. ☀️

Goodbye 2019, and bring in the vibes of 2020! 🎉
– Liv

Photo by Chinh Le Duc on Unsplash