Every moment of our lives comes with lessons to take to heart, either loud or quiet. Last year was over before anyone could truly take it all in, and that stretch of 365 days wasn’t just for nothing. A lot of things went down, and even with a new year already rolling by, people are still talking about their growth from the past year, the challenges they faced, the lessons they learned, and of course, the principles they lived by. Some of these principles were ones they had always carried with them, while others were discovered along the way, formed out of necessity as life unfolded.
Personally, I had a few principles I adopted last year. It was a couple of them, but I’ll go with the one that had the most impact on me. For the longest time, I had heard people talk about how peace of mind is underrated, how making sure you don’t lose your mind, or even yourself, while dealing with people every day is something to hold dear. Most times, the best advice comes from the quiet resolves we make in our own minds. No matter how much people talk about something, until you make up your mind to live by it, you can’t truly relate.
Prioritizing my peace was the principle that helped me the most in my journey of self-growth. It didn’t mean I suddenly started living a life without problems, but as much as I could, I became more selective in almost every aspect of my life. One of the first things I worked on was keeping my emotions in check. I realized that not every situation was worth my reaction, and not everything deserved a response. I stopped engaging so much with things that didn’t really matter in the long run, and that alone lifted a huge weight off me.
There were a few friendships where I constantly felt sidelined and unseen. It was draining, even if I didn’t admit it at first. I found myself giving so much and receiving very little in return. At some point, I had to quietly pull back into my own space. Along with that, I let go of other things that made me feel like I was doing too much while barely getting anywhere. Anything that left me feeling exhausted without a sense of direction or progress had to go as well.
All that energy had to come back to me, and that was the most exciting part. With all that energy at my disposal, I had to learn how to channel it into something that would actually help me become better and more productive. Gradually, I realized how close I was to losing myself by being too involved in other people’s lives when I had my own life to live. I didn’t become nonchalant or selfish, but saying no to certain things that drained me became the fresh air I didn’t know I needed. If something felt overwhelming and I couldn’t keep up without losing myself, I let it go. The sense of clarity and peace that came with that decision is something I wouldn’t trade for anything.
Looking back now, I couldn’t be any less relieved for choosing peace. Letting that regained energy serve a better purpose, my growth, was one of the best decisions I made. Life is already hard as it is, and with intentionality, I realized I could at least do the simple things that make my life easier and better to live. I’m standing firmly on this principle in the new year as well, and hopefully, with peace leading the way, more good things will come.