The 12 Lessons of 2012

Ah, 2013! There is something about a new year that makes us all ecstatic and giddy. For most of us, it signifies a fresh start, an opportunity to embark on a new journey to happiness. But for others, it is a chance to leave behind the ghost of the previous year that has not treated them well. However good or bad 2012 was, 2013 is here welcoming us with a huge grin, just waiting for us to take control. So hop on and make the most of each day that we are blessed with! :)

Like a clean sheet of paper, 2013 is waiting for me to fill it with new adventures, meaningful lessons and wonderful memories. But before I turn the page to 2013, let me reminisce on the year that was. Read on, you'll get a glimpse of how 2012 treated me. :P



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Jan. 1, 2013

3:34 AM

Happy New Year!!!!!!!!

Yey! It is 2013 already! It’s not that I was too eager to leave behind the ghost of 2012; I am just thrilled to what 2013 has in store for me.  It’s time to leave behind the old and the sad and replace it with the happy and the new.  With that, a new chapter of my life begins now.

2012 has brought me ups and downs. It was fun, travelled to new and exciting places, met new and interesting people on my travels, finally found the job that I love, spent the holidays with my family complete, met up with long and lost friends, gained a lot of friends and well, a lot of weight also. haha

2012 was exciting, but it was tougher. It brought me a handful of challenges and pitfalls, which tested my patience and strengthened my faith. Failed attempts at a serious relationship. A broken heart (again). Broken promises and plans. New job and bigger responsibilities. Misunderstandings with friends and family. Friendships lost and rekindled.  

But with all that, i don’t feel any resentment or regret, because whatever happened this year, and the entirety of my 27 years of existence, brought me to where I am now, wiser, stronger and yes, prettier! Lol

And with that, I share to you the 12 most important lessons I’ve learned (and re-learned) this 2012. I was inspired by a friend who wrote her own list, and I’d been actually thinking to start my blog. Add to that that I am bored, I can’t sleep and I have a lot of things on my mind so I decided to write this. Actually, I got my laptop and typed this. Lol. So here it is, my first attempt with blogging, well only through Facebook.

My 12 most important lessons in 2012

Won’t elaborate on each, because I respect the people from whom I’ve learned these lessons, and I still want to keep some details of my life private.

Also, I am not writing this to get any message across. I’ve done that already and privately with these people. 

Note: These lessons will be expressed in forms of quotations from books, known and unknown people and from me, with my short interpretation/ explanation. It is also not in arranged in the degree of relevance and effect in my life. If it would, then it will all be #1 in the list. 

1. “Moving on is not about 'never looking back.' It's about taking a glance at yesterday and noticing how much you've grown since then.”

It’s not wrong to look back because that is how you know the mistakes you have done and the mistakes you have yet to create. lol 

2. "Always remember that the longer you stay with the things you don’t really enjoy equates to every moment you lose with what could be a happy life." – Anonymous 

It is always said to be contented with what you have. But what if you are not happy at all? Then that’s the time you let go of the things that make you unhappy and find that happiness you deserve. Note: not referring to a person here. 

3. “Beware of the word "friend". It can often be used by men or the women that love them to excuse the most unfriendly behavior. Personally, when I'm picking friends, I like the ones who don't make me cry myself to sleep.” – Greg Behrendt 

Never believe that people won’t hurt you, especially the ones who you have known for a long time. Actually, the more they know about you, the greater their power is to hurt you. 

4. “Don't be flattered that he misses you. He should miss you. You're deeply missable. However, he's still the same person who broke your heart. Remember, the only reason he can miss you is because he's choosing, every day, not to be with you.” – Greg Behrendt

Enough said. No explanations needed. Lol 

5. “No matter how powerful and real your feelings may be for someone, if that person cannot fully and honestly return them and therefore actively love you back, these feelings mean nothing.” – Greg Behrendt 

If you have to wonder where you stand with someone, maybe it's time to stop standing and start walking away. You can’t be the only one doing everything. If he can’t tell you how he feels about you, show you how important he is to you, and tell everyone that you are his girlfriend, then you just have to walk away. It’s not simple, but you’ll regret not doing it earlier. 

6. “Consistency is the key to excellence, success and to my heart.” – KL

This one’s from me. And so far, no one has been consistent enough to get into my heart. Haha 

7. “If you never act, you will never know for sure.” - Marc Chernoff

Don’t be afraid to take risks. Take chances. Be honest with yourself. If you have to say something, say it. Know that it is better to cross the line and suffer the consequences than to just stare at that line for the rest of your life. Remember life’s too short to live with regrets. 

8. “Never allow someone to be your priority while allowing yourself to be their option.” – Mark Twain

It is just simple. If someone wants to be a part of your life, they’ll make an effort to be in it. The moment you beg them for love and attention, the more they will ignore you. So don’t waste the pretty, know that you’re too precious to be ignored. 

9. “The most important sex organ is the brain” – Regina Brett

No comment. lol 

10. “There comes a time in your life when you have to let go of all the pointless drama and the people who create it and surround yourself with people who make you laugh so hard that you forget the bad and focus solely on the good. After all life is too short to be anything but happy.” – Karl Marx

Letting go of the people who treats you bad does not mean you stopped loving them, it just means you started loving and valuing yourself more. When you let go of the negative people in your life, you make your way for positive people to come in. and that’s where happiness comes in! J 

11. “Overprepare. Then go with the flow.” – Regina Brett

Prepare for the expected but believe that the unexpected will happen. Because when things don’t go the way you have expected, you have the open heart to accept the outcome. Stick to your plans, but be open to make some side trips along the way, because the unexpected are the most memorable! True story. J 

12. “Sometimes, the closure that you need is not knowing why, it is the acceptance that it is simply over and their role in our life is simply done“ 

Again, this one’s from me. We often seek answers why things turned out the way they did, and oftentimes, we find fault in ourselves because we believe that if only we did this, or did not do this, things may not have ended. But actually, the more we seek answers, more questions will appear, and we will never be finished finding the answers. Thus, there are times that we don’t need closure, we just have to accept that it is over and they had only been present in our life to teach us a lesson.


To sum it up, I’d like to share one of my favorite quotations as it encapsulates everything in the above list and life in general: “You have to hurt in order to know, fall in order to grow, and lose in order to gain. Because most of life's lessons are learned in pain. 

I fall in love. I make mistakes. I take risks. I hurt and feel pain, and when I do I just cry. I cry because I have to, and I don’t see it as a sign of weakness. Pain should be felt and it shall pass. And when I’m done crying, I get back up, but now armed with the lessons from past mistakes, I try again. And then I make mistakes, cry, get back up and try again. The cycle just continues, or until I have enough lessons learned to share. Lol. 

So for everything that has happened and did not happen for 2012, I am thankful. For the people I’ve made happy, you’ve made me happier; and for the people I’ve hurt, I sincerely apologize. For the people who made me happy, thank you; and for the people who have hurt and disappointed me, I am most thankful to you, and I have forgiven you.

For everything that is yet to happen in 2013, I will be thankful. For the people who will stay with me, who I have yet to meet and who will leave me in 2013, thank you! I am looking forward for your contributions on my list of 13 most important lessons in 2013. Thank you 2012! I will be leaving you with the fondest memories and important lessons. And even if the world ended this year, I am happy to say that I lived it to the fullest! 

And to you 2013, I can’t wait to know what you have in store for me. I am welcoming you with a positive outlook, a cheerful smile and an open heart. Cheers to a Happy New Year and a Happy New Me!