Day 340: The End

Well, we finally made it!

A full year since I started my daily challenge to write (or draw) every day for 365 days.

So, how'd I do?

Well, if the title of this post is any indication (it's really not), I did . . .

Pretty.
Darn.
AWESOME.

That's right, in a year of life - full of ups, downs, sideways and neutrals - I missed only 25 days of writing. 

That's less than a month! 

And if we want to get technical about it, we could calculate that out to writing 93% of the year. And if we were assigning grades . . .  that's a solid A . . . 

Regardless of the metrics, the challenge served its ultimate purpose:
   1) to get back into a regular writing practice
   2) to create a space to expand on and develop my understanding of different life concepts, tools and experiences.

In a year of writing, I have learned that - 

• We can change our minds; and to do so is natural.
  To change is to grow. Thus, changing one's mind about something could actually indicate growth taking or having taken place.
  As the saying goes:
  Grow or Die
  
  
• Meaning can be found in literally ANYTHING.
  It just might take changing the angle or perspective with which we view it to pull something new.
  
  
• We can inspire ourselves.
  It's been cool to re-read older posts and experience a moment of awe (or 'ahh' - depending on how you look at it!).
  Feeling sensations of heart warming, chest expanding, and thoughts shouting 'yes! THIS!' in agreement with past me.
  We don't always need to turn to others for inspiration.
  And we don't need accreditation to inspire ourselves (or others).
  We can stoke our own fire.
  But we have to be open to feeling the heat - and seeing the flame [i.e. our true selves].
  
  
• Making yourself do something isn't as helpful as it seems.
  Force doesn't always result in the most fruitful outcomes.
  More often, it's ease and flexibility that bring me the most success;
  The times when I allow my interests in the moment to direct my next actions, trusting (and knowing) that everything I want to get done, will. This is still very much a work in progress, but so is life.
  
  
• Judgement Sucks . . . the joy, learning, and opportunity out of everything.
  When I started to get a handle on reeling in and reducing my rampant judging of others, situations, and myself - boy, did life start to feel different!
  Things felt lighter - I felt lighter.
  I was able to better understand others and think about situations differently than I had before.
  Judging less means more joy.
  
  
• Perspective is EVERYTHING.
  This is no new news.
  And I've been saying it like a broken record over the past year - because it's true.
  Shift your perspective and you shift your world.
  
  
• Trust in self isn't possible without understanding of self.
  Learn what you really think and believe.
  All of those things that 'some people' or 'other people' think - if their words are coming out of your mouth, they are your thoughts.
  Build your awareness of them.
  Learn to identify them.
  Then practice deciphering them.
  It's the only way to uncover what is true to you.
  If fear is born out of uncertainty and the unfamiliar. Get to know yourself and breed the opposite.
   
• Second guessing yourself = shutting the door on an opportunity.
  An opportunity to listen to yourself.
  An opportunity to trust yourself (re: point above)
  An opportunity to grow your intuition.
  An opportunity to grow - yourself.
  
  
• The key to happiness is knowing yourself.
  I penned this as the slogan of my coaching website way before I understood how true it really was. And as I've grasped and experienced this reality, I've also learned that knowing myself will be a life-long thing - because I am constantly changing.
  We all are.
  And it's a really cool and fascinating thing to be able to not only experience, but witness it - through conscious awareness of self.
  
  
• We are what and who we need.
  When we allow ourselves (and others) to change . . .
  When we look for the meaning in everything . . .
  When we inspire ourselves . . .
  When we welcome in more ease and flexibility . . .
  When we judge less . . .
  When we shift our perspective . . .
  When we trust ourselves . . .
  When we listen to ourselves and hear our intuition . . .
  When we are consciously aware of who we are . . .
  
  We are what and who we need - in every changing moment.

At the close of this year of writing, I'm still undecided what the next challenge will be. But, I can say with full confidence that writing will still continue be a regular thing. 

Though, perhaps not a daily occurrence.