#NoRegrets

So the title of this post was first uttered blearily by my best friend after a pretty epic night out (pretty sure we laughed and high fived after this). However, truly living life with this slogan can be complicated. Living life with no regrets means that you are always satisfied with your decisions and making peace with the fact that they might not always pan out the way you wanted them to.

So what does that mean? It is probably a little different for each person, but here is what it looks like for me.

Act in a way that propels your life in the direction that you want to go. Each day is a gift... call me cheesy all you want but if you aren't waking up every day and fully embracing it, maybe you need to ask yourself why. Do you not think you are worth it? Are you afraid of failing? What obstacles are in your way? Maybe you aren't sure what the next step is. Whatever the reason is, you need to drill down deep and discover what drives you forward (otherwise known as finding your Why). Ultimately, your life (and daily actions) should represent who you are and who you strive to be. It should be a picture of what you are passionate about and what means the most to you. So... is it?

Make the tough decisions that are good for you. Sometimes the best decisions are the most painful. Sometimes they can be (or feel) alienating. Sometimes they are scary as hell. Not everyone is going to agree with the ambitions of your heart and there will be times that making healthy decisions for yourself will sever relationships or create new space for yourself. If you are lucky enough to have people on the journey with you, embrace that; but don't be afraid to travel alone.

Extend kindness and grace to all. I've said terrible things to people in the past and I can say that I've regretted all of them. Words spoken angrily or from a place of bitterness or spite are more of a reflection of where you are at and not necessarily truth. Always try and extend compassion and patience first and address conflict with a clear head and slow temper. This is not to say that you should be a doormat with no boundaries. It is possible to always show respect to yourself, but while also respecting others.

Take care of this beautiful world we live in. We (collectively as a human race) have grown wasteful and disrespectful of this planet that we are blessed to live on and as a result it is deteriorating. Educate yourself and take responsibility in any way that you can. If each person were to take small steps we can move the needle in the right direction but it will take EVERY person.

Laugh regularly and don't take life too seriously. This might be my favorite rule to live by. As much as I would love for it not to be true, there is so much evil and devastation all around us and it can be hard to handle. There will be times when you need to be serious and solemn, but recognize drama for exactly what it is... DRAMA... and laugh it off. Don't get sucked into it and let it be water off your back.

As this year closes, I can't help but think about what I am regretful about and how I can remedy that going into 2018. Part of me wants to dwell on these things and feel bad about them. But really, I know that there is no wisdom in that, and the only thing to do is recognize my mistakes for what they are, learn from them, and be better because of them. Every mistake can be a powerful lesson and chance to grow if we allow them to be. Living life #NoRegrets doesn't mean that mistakes aren't made, because the true mistake is to make the same mistake again.

Cheers to everyone in 2018 and may your New Year bring you joy, prosperity, peace and love!

Work hard. Play harder. Forgive easily. Laugh often. Love fiercely.