In a few days, I am going to be turning 26. It seems crazy to look at my life and think that I am already a quarter of a century old.
Honestly, though, I have to say that 25 was by far the best year of my life. And at age 26, life is only getting better.
Today, I want to share with you some things that have made this last year the best year of my life. Who knows, maybe you learn something, or maybe it inspires you in some way to start making this next year the best year of your life.
Mindset
I think the biggest thing that has helped me to live a happier and overall better life has been an improved mindset. My past has been filled with struggles, and there have been many times where I have thought about just saying, “f*ck it.” I had no hope, no purpose, and felt as if I had no reason to be alive.
What I really lacked was a strong mindset. I was focusing on negativity, on all of the things that I couldn’t do instead of all of the things that I could do, and on my weaknesses instead of my strengths.
It’s no wonder bad things kept happening. It’s all that I was focusing on and accepting in my life. Eventually, life basically said, “Alright, if you want to focus on the bad things that life has to offer, then here you go. Here is some more bad sh*t to swallow.”
Something clicked though when I turned 25. For the first time in my life, I started holding myself responsible for everything that happened to me. Whether or not I was directly to blame, I started holding myself accountable, because if nothing else, I was always able to control my perception.
As a soon-to-be-26-year-old, improving my mindset was my main focus. I would spend a full year doing so, and as a result, I was rewarded with the best year of my life.
Fears
Fears… Those stupid little protective thoughts that fill my mind. I would spend days, weeks, and sometimes even months trying to overcome them. In fact, there are still some fears that are very much present in my life today.
But after 25 years, I finally started to believe in myself. I believed, and still do believe, that I have the strength to overcome any and all of my fears. It is that belief that has given me the strength and power to actually do so.
Letting Go of Perfection
Another reason why my life has improved as drastically as it has is because I have finally quit trying to achieve the impossible… I have quit trying to be perfect.
Normally I am an advocate for never giving up on anything, but when you are prioritizing something that is actually impossible to achieve, you are only going to drive yourself batshit crazy.
Everybody has flaws. Now, we can either allow these flaws to determine what we can and can’t do in life, or we can focus on our strengths and allow our strengths to lead us towards living life that we want.
I don’t know about you, but I choose to do the latter.
Nothing Lasts Forever
Look, we all go through hard times. That’s just life. But always know that nothing lasts forever. As the saying goes, “What doesn’t kill you will only make you stronger.” right?
Despite the pain and struggles that have impacted my past, I truly believe that everything happens for a reason. The pain that I felt was temporary, and while I may never know why I had to endure the pain that I did, I am grateful for it because it gave me the life that I am living today.
I mean, let’s be real, if I didn’t endure the struggles that I had, I would not have the belief in myself that I do now. I would probably not be writing, I would not be nearly as happy as I am now, and I would not have the same desire to make the most out of my life as I do now. I would probably still be the same depressed person that I was while striving to be accepted by everyone around me instead of accepting myself.
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I don’t know what 26 will bring, but I do know one thing… my life is only getting better, and I am excited for whatever comes next. 25 has been by far the best year of my life, and I know 26 will only be better.
Michael Bonnell
7/24/2019
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