Of New Beginnings and Second Chances.

New Year's Eve,
time for a New Year again.

New beginnings, New chances, New places. The idea of a do-over, a fresh slate. It's yours to make of it - like you're back at Go on the Monopoly game.

Maybe that's what everyone likes about New Years. The promise of a shot at anything, everything you can possibly think of, because WHY NOT? Closing a chapter, whether it was full of laughter or tears, pain, magical moments. It's all in the "past" and you move on in the cycle of life: 1st January, the beginning of everything.

2016 is going to be another fast one (Pretty sure I'm going to be right about this seeing the rate that the last two years have passed, so does this mean I can start predicting futures now? Make a living out of it maybe? HAHA I wish)

But yeah, I'm looking forward to it, something I didn't expect myself to say. As hopeful as I am every New Year, I've always been a little afraid of the unknown. Maybe everyone is in some ways.... but this time the unknown doesn't scare me as much. Perhaps because I trying to learn to just let life happen instead of worrying my head over it all. It's going to be a year of chances again:

1) Thinking of doing that internship I've been talking for 6 months about

2) Volunteering - pretty excited for this

3) The guys are gonna head off to Uni and things are going to be different.....for all of us.
It's something I knew would eventually have to happen. In some ways I've been trying to prepare myself for when it does. But I realised there really isn't much I can prepare for. We all grow up, but hopefully we won't grow apart. Then again, that's just the way things have to be.

4) I'll be heading to the states to study, finally.

5) I will be turning 22 - which is OLD?!
Don't know why but I've always felt this big gap between 21 and 22 like 21 is freedom for self choices but 22 is adult, responsibilities and bills. Weird, I know, but that's how it's always felt for me.

6) It's a new year in my life.
A life that hasn't been lived enough to be called long and yet it's been lived for too long to be spent without working towards something (a goal? I don't know) So to this in-between age/year I am in, I..... would like to be excited this time, to start figuring out where all of this is going to take me.

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2015 has been nice.
I hit the big milestone of 21. That's an equivalent of being an adult right? Some friends have told me that the few months (or the one year) I have between them and me makes no difference really. I beg to differ. It's got to do with the state of mind I think? Your mentality on life and your own actions, responsibility for yourself etc. 21 is shedding childhood, and also a little like your "training-wheel" year to becoming an adult, to me at least.

It's the year I got closer to some people, closed a portion of my life for good, I learnt new things: from people, and things. The year that has, to be honest, been quiet, relatively drama free and on the surface very ordinary and unimportant. Yet it's the year that helped quite a large bit in the process of gaining back my own confidence as a person and becoming more comfortable with myself and who I am.

I laughed a lot more than cry this year (something I'm really glad about)
I was honest about my feelings towards someone - a first as well.
I took chances.
I made mistakes. (less severe compared to some in the past hahha)
I found the courage to admit I was wrong in some situations.
I made some new friends.
I lost some of the people whom I thought were my friends.
I reconnected with some (second chances right?)
I was the cause of heartache and hurt for some people, something that I'm not proud of but it was necessary.
I forgave myself.
I take things more in my stride now.
I've learnt not to let what other people think about me get to me so much.


More than anything, I learnt the importance of loving myself.


Ups and downs is everyday life.
When life gets hard you brush it off, cry it off and then get up and go again.

Emotions are hard to control, yeah. But your mind and thoughts are yours, and you can try to look at things from a different perspective - it can help with the emotions, I've realized heh.
When I'm stressed,panicky or frustrated, a good cry/vent and sleep is usually the solution to all problems (ALSO BREATHING DEEPLY. It helps haha)

And remember, as always, nothing is forever.
But that's okay, make do with however long you may have: be it with people or in the stage of your life you're in - cherish it, enjoy it, grow from it.

That's life really.
At least that's mine right now.
Another year of things to be grateful for, another year I've conquered.
Another chapter to be closed, but it's just another new beginning.

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No matter who you are, if you're reading this, Happy New Year's Eve :)
If there was anything you wanted to do or say, do it now before it's too late. Don't end the year with regrets or "what-ifs".  20 seconds of insane courage goes a long way.

This quote applies to things other than love: like that friend you fell out with that you wanna reconnect with, or apologizing for a mistake you couldn't admit before, planning and taking that holiday you keep dreaming of. Anything that may be, don't be afraid.  Just do it,  just say it. And then you go from there.....

Forgive easily, but never forget. Love freely and don't hold back. Laugh until your tummy hurts and tears roll down your face. And keep on dreaming your big dreams, cause that's what keeps us all going.

Have a blessed 2016, may it be kind to you.

XOXO,
Sheryl