20 Life-Changing Things I've Learned Since the Turn of the Millenium
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photot by trent szmolnik on unsplash
New Year’s Eve 1999: I’m spending the night at my best friend Tricia’s house, counting down the hours until the new millenium*.
We joke about Y2K and wonder what will happen if the computers glitch and the world really does fall apart, as so many fear it might. But being in one of the last time zones on earth to enter the New Year, we pretty much already know nothing is going to happen.
We also speculate about what 2020 will be like. There’s something very appealing and mysterious about that nice, round number, and it feels so very far away. By 2020, we will be in our mid 30s. We’ll probably be married, maybe we’ll have kids. Maybe we’ll even be driving flying cars!
Now, 20 years later, here we are. My questions about 2020 have been answered, all my speculations put to rest. Tricia is married with kids, I’m married with cats, and no one I know is transporting themselves to work in a flying car.
As we enter 2020, I’ve heard a lot of talk about doing a 10 year review and reflecting on the last decade. But, with all my thoughts of 1999 and the turn of the century, I’ve gotten a little ambitious (and nostalgic) and have been reflecting on the last 20 years. As I contemplate, I’m amazed at how far I’ve come since being that awkward 14 year old (although at times she doesn’t feel far away at all), and God has been faithful in so many ways. All through the journey, He’s been there teaching, leading, and encouraging me, and I am so thankful.
So, for fun, today I’m sharing 20 things I learned in the last 20 years. Enjoy!
I’ve learned…
1. That my purpose is: #1) to love God and have a relationship with Him, and #2), to be who He created me to be—to stop second-guessing who I am and just embrace and share what He put in me.
2. That it’s okay (and not just okay but so often necessary) to say no. That saying no makes room so I can say yes to what matters most. So I can say yes to my unique and specific assignment from God.
3. That God is creative and He’s put is creative nature in each and every one of us—and you don’t have to be an artist to be creative!
4. And that my creative gifts have eternal value—they’re not just hobbies or pastimes but a huge part of my life purpose. That it’s not self-indulgent to embrace and spend time developing and sharing my gifts—on the contrary, it is vital.
5. That I can’t hate my body and feel confident at the same time. I learned to stop hating my body and instead love and accept and appreciate my body and all it does for me, including the fact that, once I accepted Jesus, my body has become the temple in which He literally makes His home—how could I not treasure that!?
6. That gratitude and appreciation have the power to completely change how I feel about my life season or situation (I even learned to love winter!).
7. That it’s okay to cry. That there was actually a lot of crying going on in the Bible, and when I cry, I’m in good company.
8. That the desires in my heart are often the greatest clues to what God is calling me to do. That desire is not mean to be downplayed or disparaged but embraced and explored in relationship with God.
9. That just because I’m qualified to do something, doesn’t necessarily mean I should.
10. That being playful and childlike is a key to a joyful life, along with being a key to growing closer to and receiving the good things God has for us. I learned to recapture a sense of childlike joy through time with my nephews—being an auntie is absolutely amazing!
11. To trust my instinct/intuition, both from an emotional standpoint and a physical standpoint—if someone seems creepy, there’s probably a reason, and I need to listen to that feeling. If I feel like my body needs something (rest, extra nutrition, supplements, etc.) there’s probably a reason, and I need to listen to that feeling…
12. That everything is figure-outable (to borrow Marie Forleo’s word) with God. He is so smart and always has a solution.
13. That persistence is a key to breakthrough.
14. That Jesus came to give us abundant, joyful life, not just in Heaven, but here on earth too.
15. That Jesus is HAPPY! He is not stoic or stern. He is the most joyful person around!
16. Heartbreak, though it can leave scars that last a lifetime, can heal if you allow yourself the time and space to grieve.
17. That things that feel scary (or even terrifying) like speaking in front of a group of people, gets easier the more you do it, until one day you might actually you enjoy it!
18. To rest and feed myself nutritious food so I can accomplish my purpose and experience the vibrant life God wants for us.
19. That God is faithful to bring me the right friendships for the right seasons.
20. That it’s okay to accept my natural likes and dislikes. It’s okay to prefer to wear neutral colors like black and gray, and it’s okay to prefer vanilla ice cream. I don’t have to force myself to be more “exciting” or “interesting.” It’s okay to be me.
Do any of these resonate with you? I’d love to hear about what you’ve learned since the turn of the century! Let me know in the comments below!
With love,
*After writing this, I learned that apparently the new millenium didn’t technically start until 2001, which completely weirds me out. You can read about it here. Still, the fact remains that January 1st, 2000 is the day most of us non-sciencey people consider/considered to be the start of the new century/millenium.
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