My Top 15 Lessons In 2015

Carly BensonPersonal Development, Transformation

top lessons of 2015 carly benson

For the New Year, I decided to take a trip down memory lane by going through each post from 2015. As I read through each one to see what I learned through the year I realized that so much has actually happened in the last 12 months.

Let’s be honest, what we teach, we learn ourselves and if I’m honest, most of the time as I’m writing, it’s based on what I’m going through in that moment and what I’m learning, applying and trying to practice.

As you ring in the New Year, I encourage you to take a review and inventory of the past year just as I have. What did you learn? Where did you go? What did you do really well? What could you have done better? How can you make 2016 the best year yet? By taking time to reflect, you allow yourself the perspective to see areas of growth, room for improvement and an overall report card for how this year shaped up.

If we’re not where we wanted to be, most likely that is because we did not make necessary changes to put us in that position or take actions to truly support our goals. I know there are things I fell short on that I want to make adjustments on going into the New Year.

It is only by acknowledging our strengths and weaknesses that we are able to evolve. Sometimes I think we focus so much on what we aren’t good at and trying to fix it that we forget to relish in all that we excel at. A new year is a ripe opportunity for a new you. So, if there are things you don’t like, change them. If you can’t change them, then change the way you look at them. And let’s all spend more time mastering our areas of bad-assery in 2016.

Without further ado, after my year in review, here are my top 15 lessons of 2015.

1. What I Learned From Two Weeks Without A Cell Phone

The next time you have to put your phone down for a moment with someone you love or to focus on something important, remember it’s good to unplug sometimes, even when it’s not planned. Life is full of moments and sometimes there is an enlightening experience waiting for us when we unglue our eyes from our screens.

2. What We See In Others Is A Reflection

Everyone around us is reflecting something to us if we look hard enough to find it. Each person offers us the chance to grow, learn, and excel into better versions of ourselves. As we move through life and the lessons it reveals to us, we move closer to our truest self, our most authentic being and ultimately to the level of success we were designed for. Understanding reflections we receive from others can lead us to grow in areas that help us excel and bust through blocks that keep us stuck.

3. What Happens When You Say “I’m Never Drinking Again,” And Mean It

I used to think I was cool because I could drink anyone under the table. Now I feel like the coolest kid on the block because I don’t need alcohol to have fun. Sobriety puts you in a league of your own, and there is something to be said for being unique in a world full of people who just want to fit in. Going against the grain instead of lighting a shot on fire with it, is much more badass in my book. When sobriety starts to soothe your soul in ways alcohol never could, you realize you’re on to something. I’m often asked why I don’t drink. My answer is always because “sober is the new cool, man.”

4. 8 Things I Learned in 8 Days

“If you can, then you must.” – Baron Baptiste

If you have success, determination, a dream or goal, a skill, more strength or a bigger anything inside of you – you must, absolutely must, bring it forth.

5. Everything Is Temporary

Let us not take for granted what and who we have in our lives because it could all be gone tomorrow. Let us hold on as tightly as we can to that which makes us happy. Let us remember that problems don’t stay problems, they always turn into something else eventually; be it a lesson, insight or a new way of living.

6. The Moment You Know You Are Ready For Something New

When the moment comes, you just know. They come when a relationship, job, person, place or thing no longer serves us. They are the plot twists of life. They are pieces of our unfolding story that show us when it’s time to let go, move on and take new action. When these moments strike they are a container for clarity and brilliance. A sweet reminder that you have within you everything you need to do what is next. Don’t resist the intelligence of these moments or delay in making moves on the messages they hold. They glean with truth and kiss your soul with honesty.

7. Home Is Not A Place, It’s A Feeling

Having a sense of what home feels like is a great guide for our souls to know when we are in alignment with paths that lead to our greatest good. Find what makes you feel at home and relish in how it always gives you exactly what you need. Find your true home, build your life around it and don’t settle for anything less than the life you feel you were meant to live. After all, home is where the heart is.

8. Your Tribe Affects Your Vibe

Keep your inner circle tight. Choose your tribe wisely. Your tribe affects your vibe.

9. Lessons From The Storms Of Life

“Once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you survived. You won’t even be sure whether the storm is really over. But one thing that is certain, when you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what the storm is about.” -Haruki Murakami

10. Be An Eagle

Be an eagle. Take flight. You may fly solo for a while but those who are meant to soar with you or next to you will rise to the occasion. And one day if you’re lucky enough, another one just may come along that will show you parts of the sky you’ve never seen before.

11. Just For Today

Do your best and be your best, just for today. Make good choices and decisions that support your dreams and goals, just for today. Remember you don’t have to do it forever, just for today.

12. You Cannot Invest Your Soul In A Compromise

Don’t compromise or sell yourself short on what matters most to you. You can’t thrive in a compromise. It’s nearly impossible. Instead find a way to honor who you are because at the end of the day, staying true to you is the most peaceful and fulfilling path.

13. Learning How To Go With The Flow

Going with the flow doesn’t make you lazy, submissive or a dead fish. It simply means you are co-creating with God by responding, not just complying, with what life throws at you. It’s becoming a cosmic warrior and intuitive listener. It’s ditching the need to control and plan everything and instead trusting that the waves of life are going to show up for you intelligently. It’s learning to swim with those waves, floating in their forward moving current, and allowing them to move you in the direction you should be going. It means we stop trying to force or resist and learn how to vibe with the ever present ebb and flow of life.

14. Recovery Goes Beyond Just Staying Clean

“I cannot be still for long. There is a riot in me all the time. A needy, restless voice in my heart endlessly urging me onwards. I ache for new experiences and my hunger for adventure is boundless. My entire life is a perpetual loop of longing for something else.” –Beau Taplin

15. A Motto For Life That Will Change How You Live

My motto is simple: If it’s not a HELL YES, it’s a no. Life is too short for things that don’t excite our souls. I want butterflies, goosebumps, things that make me come alive and leave me without speech.

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year!