33 things I’ve learned this year...

Why 33? Because I’m 33 years... young!

1. I’ve learned that nobody can validate or invalidate, me being an actress or not. I know in my soul that I am one, even if I am not part of a system where I play on a daily basis, the moments when I play, as rare as they may be, they bring me immense joy, and in the end that’s what matters... to me! No, I don't consider myself a victim of the system, I’m succeeding in spite of it... Focus and energy, baby! And one by one dreams will come true..
2. I’ve learned that therapy is the best "shopping" you can do if you feel down. Numbing ourselves might help on the spot but we all know that it’s self destructive on the long run;
3. I’ve learned that I don’t have to be constantly busy in order to feel accomplished;
4. I’ve learned that letting go of people, situations and the "stories" that we keep telling ourselves is much harder than we might want to admit;
5. I’ve learned that comparing oneself with anybody else is useless and dangerous, not to mention poisonous;
6. I’ve learned that even if certain people won’t “like” you on social media, they might like you in real life and that’s perfectly fine;
7. I’ve learned that even if your wishes do come true, if they are no longer in alignment with who you are, you can simply disregard them and move on without making a big deal out of it nor a drama;
8. I’ve learned that people who really care for you will eventually find a way to stay in touch no matter the amount of craziness you'll parade in order to scare them off;
9. I’ve learned that you don’t always have to act upon your impulses, actually it’s better if you don’t (the perks of therapy);
10. I’ve learned that even if some people might not be an active part of your life any more, they will forever be in your heart imprinted into the biography of the awesome human being that you’re striving to be (you've meet each other for a reason, nothing is random!);
11. I’ve learned that you have to be consistently prepared cause you never know when opportunity might arise so as to finally step into the light. Just focus and put in the necessary work, even miracles need some incentives;
12. I’ve learned that if you don’t take care of yourself, nobody can do that in your place;
13. I’ve learned that well-being involves both physical and mental awareness, they go hand in hand, you literally cannot have one without the other;
14. I’ve learned that certain people will do theatre or improv or any other form of art for that matter, solely for mercantile purposes and that’s perfectly fine... for them!
15. I’ve learned that if I feel like someone has something personally against me, it’s uniquely my problem and not theirs;
16. I’ve learned that with the right people nothing will feel forced, on the contrary, it will be pure serendipity, whilst with the wrong ones, even the greatest success will feel bitter;
17. I’ve learned that there are no right or wrong people (see what I did here?:)) but only our tainted misunderstandings about the world. If we keep an open mind we’d be surprised what awesome people we might encounter along the road... Be gentle and stay humble, nobody knows what's behind the closed doors of one's soul;
18. I’ve learned that some choices will be made according to friendships criteria (it's all about networking at best!) and since this can't be controlled, I can only choose to be genuinely friendly to everyone without any hidden agenda;
19. I’ve learned that you can be friendly while maintaining some clear safe boundaries;
20. I’ve learned that some people are prone to function better in groups (and that they will do anything to be accepted in certain groups, even if it means giving up on them), not me though (a bit snobby, I know!)... I’m becoming more and more of a lone wolf and I’m trying to make peace with that... (Auuuuuuu!:)))
21. I’ve learned that I’m not as sociable as I thought I was, quite the opposite, according to my therapist, I have antisocial traits! (I’m still trying to let that sync in, although this explains quite a few outbursts)
22. I’ve learned that traveling with awesome friends can be the best gift you can grant yourself;
23. I’ve learned that the burn-out disease definitely exists and it’s ugly, moreover, it can affect even the most strong people (especially the strongest amongst us) so it's not all in our head!
24. I’ve learned that you don’t have to be strong non-stop (nobody is!), being vulnerable it’s a soothing counterbalance;
25. I’ve learned that sometimes, simply making it through the day can feel like a success;
26. I’ve learned that spending time on Duolingo and other language apps will totally improve your German and Dutch skills, unlike spending that same amount of time on social media (Owl quote: "15 min on Duolingo daily can teach you a language, what can 15 min on social media do?" Think of that! ;)
27. I’ve learned that playing in a foreign language brings me way more satisfactions than playing in my own mother tongue due to the enhanced focus (and challenge ) that it involves;
28. I’ve learned to be super grateful for all the languages I speak (5 and still counting - cheeky again) as they feed me, offering me such a wide range of possibilities;
29. I've learned that you should follow your fear and make that "scary" change if you feel stuck (be it in regards to jobs or relationships) as frightening as it may seem, it’s way better than not evolving at all! Oh, I almost forgot! Dear Self, STOP PROJECTING your fear(s) onto people...
30. I’ve learned that letting go of anger and resentment can be beneficial both for yourself and for the one whom you’re forgiving. Oh, yeah, and move the f*ck on from unexpressed apologies!
31. I’ve learned to make time for those who make time for me, “busy” it’s just an overrated excuse ;
32. I’ve learned that 'tis life: every now and then some things will happen that are out of our control, when this occurs, there’s nothing much we can do but learn resilience, the sooner we understand this, the better for our own peace of mind;
33. I’ve learned that I am/have already everything I need to be, things are unfolding exactly how they should at the pace that suits me best right now. No amount of rush or impatience will make me happier so I might as well relax and enjoy...

I do hope this will help somebody :)

Joyfully,

Mirela

“If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.”

 Maya Angelou