7 things to focus on this year

From my personal experience, I can say these next 7 principles are completely life changing if done right. They will lay out the foundation for you to see exactly what you are made of and how far you can go. 

FIND YOUR INNER TRUTH
You may think this is some kind of hippie, la di da goal. No, this is the most important goal you should be focusing on. Without knowing your inner truth, you’re lost on this planet my friend; you are just living, without really being alive. This is not something that takes a day or two, it’s a process you consistently focus on as you go through life. Looking deep down at what’s really inside of you is not something done in a rush, and often times not very enjoyable to begin with. Finding your own self is a process that takes time and that should be done with gentleness and care. Your whole life you have been molded by what society told you to be, by what your friends advised you to see, by who your parents told you you are, by what your lover sees in you. But you are not only those things, you are you and the most important opinion of yourself is yours. You decide who you are based on what lies at the core of your heart and soul. Some people start meditating to awaken themselves from a life of dormant living, others leave everything behind and go travel the world to find that spark within them. Some people go to counseling to face the darkness they’ve tried to hide in the back of their mind for years, whilst others may find themselves by being in a relationship. Whatever it is that works for you, do it. My guess is that once you begin, you will see the results. My journey involved a lot of learning, reading, connecting with others, being surrounded by successful people, finding and learning from mentors, being observant of my actions and reactions, meditation, running. These things I have realized only later on how much value they bring to my life and how very much connected I am by practicing them. Whatever way you want to take, make it your focus to start knowing yourself better. The easiest way is to start writing down words you describe yourself with; then look in the mirror and do the same. As time goes by and the more practice you get in, you will soon get better at it and you will begin to see yourself in your true light.
 
SPEAK YOUR TRUTH
Once you have identified your true essence, you must begin to express it. So many people wish they could say things they really mean, but a blockage inside stops them. You will see that by knowing your heart’s pure intent and your soul’s deepest wishes, you will feel more empowered than ever. For when you connect with who you truly are then you will see or make no further judgement upon yourself or others. The way you see others is simply a mirror of what is going on in your mind. But when your mind is at peace, you begin to see La vie en rose, a life trough rose tainted glasses. Saying no is not always a bad thing, because if something does not align with what is at your core, no is actually the expression of what you really want. Understand the importance of knowing that you have a voice and you can use it to speak your truth and to help others see theirs.

GET CLOSER TO FRIENDS, SAY GOODBYE TO FOES
This goal is so important I can’t stress enough on it. I remember when I was younger, I would accept people in my life because I thought I was supposed to. If some kid at my school who was popular wanted to hang out with me, I would say yes in a heartbeat. And even if this kid was mean to me or brought absolutely no value to my 10 minute school break, walking around the courtyard with the “cool” ones gave me some sense of empowerment. I thought what people saw was more important than what I saw. But as I grew older, I realized that time is more precious than ever and who you spend it with is vital. I began saying no to certain men who asked me out, and I would not go out of my way to visit somebody who was no longer in line with what I wanted out of life; not because I was better than them, but because the differences in our life’s mission were so far apart from one another that there would be no mutual understanding. In these moments, I also started expressing more love to those who brought positivity into my life, to those people who I felt good around and who empowered me and I them. Make it your mission to eliminate “toxic” people from your life. Nobody is toxic as such, it is just that your energies simply don’t match and when put together, the vibration that these energies create is one of turmoil and not peace. And since by now you’d know your truth, you will understand the importance of having peace in your life.

WELCOME FEAR IN YOUR LIFE
Let me tell you a secret about fear. It is really just your mind’s way of recognizing something you are not comfortable with. That’s it! Most people are afraid of heights not because something bad can happen when they are up high, but because they feel uncomfortable in that position because they are not in it often enough. Others fear not living life to their true potential, not because they cannot, but because they know that do so they will need to step out of what they have been doing so far which is comfort and trying something new which brings uncomfortable situation. Somebody wise once told me that the only way to beat fear at it is to simply acknowledge it. Image sitting down next to your fear, looking at it and simply accept that it’s there. Once you make peace with it, it will naturally go away. But if you try and refuse its arrival, it will test your limits further and extend its stay. Be less afraid of situations knowing that your fear is simply there to test how badly you want it. Your uncosncious mind is simply programmed to react to new situations so learn to break that pattern and get comfortable with being uncomfortable. 

WORK SMARTER, NOT HARDER
I have met extremely successful people that are able to own several businesses, do what they love, spend time with their family, allocate time for their hobbies and focus on their health. I have also met people who drive themselves crazy with work, not focusing on any other aspect of their life. And whilst these people also have success, they don’t have wealth. To be truly wealthy, you have to be healthy, feel loved and give love. When these things align with your everyday life, you will be wealthy. Make it your goal to work smarter, not harder. Focus on your target, take the necessary steps and live life to your fullest potential. Don’t get me wrong, this doesn’t mean you don’t have to lose sleep sometimes, but it simply looks at what will you lose in the process. The most important thing to always keep in mind is that as long as you keep true to yourself, you will be successful in whatever it is that you want. Find out your strenghts, work on your weaknesses and become more proactive. 

RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS
We often fail to acknowledge the importance of respect and kindness. Being so stuck in our own world, we built so much self-control that we forget that we are actually part of a social consciousness, that everybody on this planet is somehow connected. By realizing this you can extend the vision of where you are going by making the journey more abundant. There is no point of being successful without having people around to share it with. When you are truly wealthy, you will feel loved and give love so always remember the how vital love is to our life. It all starts with intention, so know that if you mean to do good from your deepest inner source, then you will receive good, for what’s inside in us is all around us. Look beyond what you see and be kind. Never underestimate being kind for it will take you further than you think. The most purest form of happiness comes from a moment when what you do for others is completely out of good intention, with no expectation of return. When you help bring happiness and prosperity to somebody’s life, you spread that everywhere, including in your own.

REGAIN YOUR PHYSICAL STRENGHT
Exercise is a natural way of putting our physical state into movement. This is important to our existence, so that our organs are constantly being kept active to become stronger. By doing so, they are working to their true purpose and we develop a certain kind strength, not only physically but extends to emotionally, spiritually and mentally. When we exercise, we also give our brain the power to see beyond what it really knows, therefore pushing ourselves to the next level. Exercising can help you push through fear, because it takes you out of your comfort zone, of what you thought you could do. Going for a nap to get rid of your headache is so much easier than getting out of bed and going for a long power walk. But once you do you realize that all those thoughts you had were distractions because you feel better and happier. This is because you pushed through what scared you and what felt good, for something that was going to challenge you and help you grow. So make time to exercise not to lose weight only, or to tone up your body, but because it will expose you to a new kind of situation and you will learn to become more fearless.
If you can master the above 7 principles, I am pretty sure you can achieve everything you want to. Always remember to go back to your source and understand fully your inner truth, to speak what resonates from within and to push through the uncomfortable. There’s a sea of opportunities that lay ahead you every single moment, and just as the waves bring the tide in and out, you yourself can create a flow of consistent abundance in your life. ​​