3 Things I Have Learned This Year So Far…

Written by: Paula Orezi, Executive Contributor

Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.

My year is starting off with some amazing life lessons. For starters, the year started much like the typical season of fighting off allergies and the flu among other stressors of going back to normal after a long holiday break! January is like the new Monday except there are 31 days of making some firm decisions to get the rest of the year in alignment. I realize the beginning of the year is a time of reflection and goal-setting for what the remaining of my year would look like. These are the 3 main things that have been such an eye-opener for me:

1. Love Yourself More ‒ yes, this was my lesson that I needed to learn early on for the year. I was so used to giving more of myself with the demands of life that I forgot to add ME to the list! Loving YOU first matters! You are not able to give yourself from an empty starting point. Do the things that fill YOU and make you stay grounded to the people you were meant to serve in this life. I needed the refreshing thought of “it’s okay to be with ME today”. The guilty feeling trapped me into thinking that everyone and work mattered more except ME. Until someone snapped me back into reality and assured me that if I do not love myself more then I will only be giving from an empty position which does not serve others well in the end. Loving me was part of the full equation.

2. Simplicity ‒ the tendency to overwhelm and overthink was part of my daily lifestyle. Stress is a silent kill-joy. The lack of keeping things simple cost more at the end and gave me more to think about. What a whirlwind! I needed to learn to pause, assess things as they are, manage the emotions, and provide solutions or receive guidance. I had to follow these simple steps to make it through each roadblock. The art of remaining calm helps to see things in the right perspective without emotional chaos. Waking up each day and choosing to keep things simple was my new motto! It helped me to stay focused.

3. Do Your Best and Leave the Rest ‒ this is my new phrase each day! I learned this lesson early on because I was overcomplicating my daily work. I am not the superhero that can save everyone and everything! I can add value with my gifts and talents. I am the piece of the puzzle, not the whole puzzle. There are days that you might have had the intention to complete some big project, check off that task, or build your business. Then life happens and things get placed on hold. Each day is a choice to do your best with the resources and connections you have and move from that point continually. I had to learn to eliminate the need to always get it right. So long as you review your day and put your hard work into it, then you should leave with the thought of knowing that you did your best for the day and leave all the things that are out of your control.

These lessons so far have freed up some time, lessen stress, and added more value to the way that I treat myself. I can use these lessons to set up the remainder of the year to be successful!

What has this year been teaching you so far? Take a time to reflect because those life lessons can help you be more proactive for the rest of the year!

Check out what's inside the Paula-O store on their website or email directly at porez815@gmail.com for more info.

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Paula Orezi, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine

Paula Orezi is the author of a motivational poetry book, From Me to You, and co-author of the 1 International Best Selling book, Experts & Influencers: Women's Empowerment Edition. She has a passion for helping people be inspired to change, creating a positive and win-win outcome. Her experience includes mentoring others and leadership development.

Paula's life motto is to be a Change Agent in everything she does. Her messages are for business-minded professionals or anyone wishing to start their own business and need help to overcome mindset beliefs, organize, and conduct sales through relationship-building. These are the ingredients that she believes others can benefit from to see results.

Her why is to help people overcome destructive patterns regarding thinking habits and daily investment habits. Paula has been featured in podcasts that encourage others to live with purpose and dream big! The creation of the Paula O! Store was founded on the concept of Be You! She has impacted many with her branded products that stand for the mission of empowering others to be themselves and find their life’s calling in an adventurous way.