What 2014 has randomly taught me..

• No one is promised tomorrow. Life is short and ought to be celebrated every day. Be wise with how and who you choose to spend your life and time with.  Neither one has an undo button, so cherry-pick good memories over regrets.
• Family is family.. notwithstanding distance and time, come rain or shine. Nonetheless, family is not always blood. They are the people who matter most to you and you, to them. They are the only people who will not only celebrate your success but will also empathize with your defeat. They show up uninvited to your pity party and will choose to get stuck with you in that yucky pit but will also drag you out of there!
• True friendships do not require constant chitchat and togetherness. Infrequent hi’s, hello’s and how-are-you’s will suffice to express sincere thoughts and concern. Catching up will happen seldom but when it does, it certainly surmounts distance and time difference.
• No matter how hard you try, you can never please everyone. People are not always appreciative and grateful of your efforts, great or small. That is perfectly alright. Smile and keep at it, anyway... You are blessed to be a blessing.
• Unmet expectations often result to disappointment and heartbreak.  Spare yourself from added insult to injury by managing your own emotion, reaction and attitude. You are not in control of people’s actions but you are certainly the chief executive officer of your own. Choose to shrug the disappointment off and carry on. Life doesn't end there.
• A grudge is not worth holding on to. The pain and bitterness will only rub you of peace and joy. Rather than allowing yourself to go through the same agony over and over again, learn to let go and let God. It will take time but only God can truly heal.
• Choose to give, rather than lend, without strings attached. Just make sure you are helping rather than enabling bad spending habits. Be honest if you cannot afford it. Relationships are best preserved when money matters don’t get mixed in with it.
• Social media is mostly superficial. The grandest vacation photos and the most impressive shout out do not entirely tell a person’s life story. The thumbs up, the gratifying comment and the sweet talks do not define relationships and true friendships.  Be cautious with your connections and guard your heart against that green-eyed monster named envy.
• God loves you and unanswered prayers do not prove otherwise. Broken dreams do not delimit His omnipotence, omnipresence and omniscience. He is God despite your circumstances. So when things go amiss the way you planned them to be, fear not. Simply pray- it’s more and is most effective!  Learn to surrender to His will and trust His ways.
• Be grateful and be contented with what you have in your life. Acquiring power, fame or more possessions will not fill the emptiness nor fully satisfy your life. Appreciating what you already have will make you realize just how blessed you are.