- To truly embrace what’s coming, we have to let go of what’s past.
- Awareness, acknowledgement and acceptance of the past is the healthiest way to move on.
- Wherever you are, there you are.
- Trust the process. You cannot determine the outcome, but you can control the process.
- Practise makes progress. Practise makes habits.
“Life is a progression, not an exercise in perfection.” - Embrace the journey of becoming the person you want to be. Love and appreciate the current version of you, no matter how not “ideal” that may be.
- 好的人生，不慌不忙。Good life: no rush, no hurry.
- Not everything I do must have a pragmatic or materialistic function. I can do things purely for fun.
- There is no need to be so hard on myself. I can enjoy the process of trying something new, familiarising myself with it gradually, without putting pressure on myself to have to excel in it.
- Screw being perfect. I’ll choose to be willing to make mistakes, pick myself up when that happens and improve.
- There is always something new to learn!
- Bad habits can be our friends: they signal to us our needs and do bring us benefits. Taking time to understand them makes it more manageable to overcome them.
- I’m allowed to feel and express unpleasant emotions. I’m human and my emotions are valid.
- You cannot force anyone to do anything. Change has to come from within.
- “Let them be” and “so be it” unlocks a more peaceful life. To each their own.
- When you allow other people’s realities to exist alongside yours, what follows is empathy and peace inside.
- Let go of what you cannot control.
- Dare to say no more often.
- Don’t be too quick to judge someone based on your initial interactions with them. Give yourselves a chance to know each other better.
- (Almost) everyone is addicted to something nowadays. For some, it’s the vices. For some, it’s food. For some, it’s social media. As with everything, moderation, via self-limitation, is key.
- Pick your battles. Pick your poison.
- Everything is so beautiful and so short. Once a moment passes, its gone.
- Health is wealth. I always understood it, but this year I got to experience the feeling of “心有余而力不足” (which means the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak) and that made me truly internalise.
If you enjoyed reading this article, have a read at my past yearly takeaways too!
- 2022: https://andreastories.com/self/22-takeaways-from-2022/
- 2021: https://andreastories.com/self/21-takeaways-from-2021/
Thank you for reading! Happy new year!