Hello friends, this year has been a productive one for me, I successfully completed a Nutrition and Dietetics Certification with good scores, I started working out and improved my health, got a new job which stands my expectations (it actually went beyond my expectations when I was allowed a one month leave that also just after two months of my joining),  I felt blessed that life has given me so much without asking.

I went on my first international trip and it was an amazing and unforgettable experience, and this year has also ended a long distance between me and my boyfriend. We no longer have to count year, months and days to see each other, we can now meet anytime. It is a wonderful feeling. This year I have also made a lot of good changes in myself to make life simpler and better. I wanted to share some of the things that I have unlearned this year which have contributed to creating a peace in my life.

So, here are the 8 best things I have done so far this year

1. I have stopped thinking about what others think of myself. I used to become so conscious of others and was more concerned about other’s perception of me. I have seen that nobody is perfect and they are busy covering their own flaws. In fact, nobody has that much time, most of the time they are busy struggling with their own issues and for the one who thinks, I am happy that I consume their heads and they have got something good to think about. We can make a world a better place to live for ourselves and for others if we stop judging others.
2. Since I was timid and vulnerable, I was taken granted by the dominant and toxic people around me. Later I learned to speak out and take a stand for myself.
3. The second best thing I have learned is to not underestimate myself. I used to feel uneasy and had unrealistic expectations from myself though I was doing fine, I was under stress, I used to find faults in myself in my low time and think that I was not good enough to achieve things to make my life better, I could instead have given that time to heal myself with positive thoughts. I now try not to be so harsh on myself. Self-love and understanding yourself are essential for a peaceful mind. I got to learn this when I could hear my close people saying positive words for me and encouraging me for my work and when even unknown people could recognize good things in me, then why cannot I recognize my qualities and walk confidently to focus on good things only. Enhancing your strengths is way better than getting stressed out about your weaknesses.
4. Smile and smile, It drives people crazy. If you have no words for someone’s shit, say f*** off hidden in your smile and move on, try it. Everything doesn’t require your reaction, sometimes you can simply smile and move forward in your life leaving things that are not worth your time. You have more important things to do in life.
5. Heels and makeup can never be a traveller’s companion. I was never in peace with my makeup and my heels, there is no doubt that they enhance your looks but they always created a struggle for me. I didn’t want any blisters and ache in my foot and for makeup, my mirror(and myself) has accepted me without makeup. They were just refraining me to live in the moment with my whole mind and body, as I was more concerned about the blister in my foot and checking whether my makeup is perfect.
6. Treat yourself as your best friend, since nobody can understand you better than yourself. Treat yourself well as if you would care for a baby or your beloved ones. You need yourself more than anyone would ever need you. Stop depending on others for your happiness. If your body is craving for food, go feed your baby that, feed it with whatever it needs. Your life would be simpler and you won’t have any complaints from others.
7. I stopped judging people for what they are because we neither know the path they have walked nor their struggles. Earlier, I used to judge people as mean, rude, fake, but now I have learned that there are reasons that made them who they are. Judging people is filling negativity in yourself. I am happy with this change and have found peace by changing my habits. With habit, I mean practising and reminding myself regularly to not see anyone with a stereotypic mentality. The people I used to think as clever and fake, when I started seeing life from their perspective, I instantly felt empathy for them, now I know that they are struggling with their own life and this is the only reason for their behaviour. Compassion is the key; your inner peace is more important than winning all the arguments.
8. I have made meditation an integral part of my life. Earlier I refused to believe that meditation alone can sort out my life but experience has made me believe this fact. It has sorted out my life and provided me with peace of mind. My life has become clearer and with practice, I can quickly decide what matters the most and what is good for my peace. Each day I feel better and balanced. You can discover your own method of meditating. It is more of like clearing unproductive thoughts and listening to who you really are and what you exactly want. Believe me, it is capable of miracles. Two people who have helped me in achieving this are Osho and Thich Nhat Hanh. They are a great source of inspiration for me.

So these are few of the things I am practising to make life better. Life is all about findings ways to survive the world and stand despite all the adversities. Practising things that are good for your mind and body is the best gift you can give yourself.

I hope you liked the blog, I would be glad if you could share some of the things you learned this year. 🙂

Lots of Love,

Yogu♥