I learned a lot this year. And sometimes something as simple as a quote made me rethink my decisions. So here are some quotes and phrases that struck a chord with me this year. May they do the same for you.
I. Nothing is worth more than honesty. To yourself and others. Truth isn’t comfortable, but neither is watching your back all the time. No one really likes mysterious people, we are not in Twilight (and you wouldn’t want to spend time with those people anyway).
II. Being nice and getting hurt in the process is much better than being alone. A loving heart can fix itself; a lonely one only shatters itself.
III. Being happy is no one else’s responsibility. If you want to be happy, figure out what makes you happy and do it.
IV. Why would you want everyone to like you? You don’t even like everyone. If a jerk likes you, that’s probably a bad sign.
V. Let your only fear be the fear of regret.
VI. No one really needs self-improvement books. No topic of life needs 400 pages; life isn’t that complicated. Use your time to try out what works instead of making theories, diagrams, and plans; they never work anyway. PS: Sure, some of them are great, but 98% of them would fit on a flashcard.
VII. Speaking of books, there is a frightening amount of wisdom in novels you read for entertainment. If your favorite character isn’t scared of slaying dragons, why should you be scared of anything? In my personal experience, I learned more about character improvement, inner strength, and gratefulness in fantasy novels than in any self-improvement book.