13 for 2013

I did this kind of post last year as a reflection on 2012 and I've come to think that verbalizing (or writing down) life lessons is actually vital to growth. So here it is, though late, my 13 thoughts for 2013.

1. It is good to expect good things, but most often our expectations are not reality (good news though, they have a proclivity to be much better than expected when you hope for the best).

2. People are just people. Whether wealthy, well-known, impoverished, or notorious, a human being is just a human being--but that is not a small, insignificant thing.

3. Humbling yourself against pride is one of the most wise decisions you can ever make. It is not simply a nice trait to have with relation to others, it is also a productive one.

4. There is no such thing as "I didn't have a choice." We always have a choice.

5. "Intersectionality" = though one man may be oppressed by another, this man himself could (perhaps inadvertently) be the oppressor to another man. Take this in a context separate from oppression, other people's ignorance or faults are no more imperfect than your own.

6. Real, true Hope is an act of humility.

7. Stop and breathe in your surroundings and the people within it. Time moves very quickly.

8. Demonstrate love to all.

9. Lessons abroad (it's not always easy being a foreigner): Remember to offer grace to others, because you just might be the one who could use it.

10. I've learned to be grateful for the imperfection of the human race because it reminds me where the only true perfection lies.

11. Don't be afraid to say no.

12. Don't be afraid to say yes.

13. Not every day will be a beautiful new adventure, but it is a good thing to find at least one reason to celebrate an "average," "ordinary" day.

This year was a dream, not perfect by any means, but God showed me how to give abundantly more than I could ever ask. Cheers to a new year of mercies and grace, encounters with love, kindness, and truth.