My hopes for you in 2014

These are hopes that I have for you in the new year. Who are "you"? Well, you are, stranger.

1. I hope that you will realize that a door you think is closed, is not really closed at all.

2. I hope that you will see you have the strength to move past whatever is hurting you.

3. I hope that when you're sad, you will allow yourself to just feel sad.

4. I hope that you will keep your expectations from getting in the way of the beauty of what actually is.

5. I hope that you will look up from your phone long enough to realize what you're missing in front of you.

6. I hope that you will know you're worthy of all the love people offer you.

7. I hope that next time you're put down, you will find the words to speak up.

8. I hope that instead of just hearing, you will try to listen.

9. I hope that you will Say yes more.

10. I hope that you will raise your arms up and scream with joy, and mean it.

11. I hope that this will be the year that you can take that one thing (you know, that one thing you tell yourself is holding you back from living the life you want) and face it. You know the thing I mean. Make this the year.

12. I hope that you will not wait.

Lessons from 2013

While looking back through some old notes, I decided to write down a list of lessons that meant something to my life this year. Some have been recurring, while some I'm very much still learning. Maybe one will mean something to you, too.

1. The timetable by which you move through life is very personal to you. No one else can define that.

2. If you manage to make just one lasting friendship each year, you will live an incredibly rich life.

3. It's important to have a hobby that's completely unrelated to your career.

4. It's not going to be good the first time. You'll probably even look back and laugh. But you have to start somewhere.

5. If you want to go on 20-mile runs, you're going to lose a few toenails.

6. It's okay to do nothing sometimes. It's important to do nothing sometimes.

7. If you don't like Diet Coke, you won't like rum and Diet Coke either.

8. Working more does not equal more happiness. Working more often does not even mean more success in work.

9. Someone who takes a personal interest in your well-being is rare and special (and should probably be taken out for ice cream).

10. Everyone's going through something. Be kind always.

11. A list about the year '13 is allowed to have only 12 items.

12. Just because something ends doesn't make it any less special.