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Have you already thrown yourself head first into 2019?

Not so fast. 

We don’t dwell on the past, but there’s still plenty to learn from it. So while we’re setting goals for this year, it helps to reflect on what we learned in 2018.

1. Sometimes slow and steady really does win the race. There’s a lot to be said for swiftly pursuing what you want. But when you take your time on something important, it can give you the experience you need to pursue subsequent goals with more confidence.

Take our trip to Marawi, for instance. Carefully planning this trip taught us so much about the types of causes Silent Mind wants to take on, and what makes a charitable visit a success. Undoubtedly, the due diligence done there was essential to pulling off a trip to Nepal just months later.

2. There’s nothing to fear in failure. This year was one full of achievements for Silent Mind. Still, the races we didn’t win this year were just as rewarding as the ones we did. In fact, we came away without feeling an ounce of disappointment over pursuits that slipped through our fingers.

Why, you ask? Because failure - small or large - is a major fear-buster. Once you realize that the world doesn’t end when you stumble, the chances you take in the future seem a lot less risky.

3. Frequent vacations are an absolute must. Okay, so we’re not packing our bags and heading to the beach every week. But 2018 was pretty packed, and we’re looking forward to switching a few things up in 2019.

We hope you’ll take a vacation from your routine this year as well. Whether it’s deleting social media apps for a few days, or getting up an hour early to sit and do nothing but drink an extra cup of tea, it’s nice to take a break from the usual. 

4. Feeling good is an inside job. What happens outside of us, from news headlines to our personal relationships, will always have an impact on our emotions. But that doesn’t mean that our emotions have to be completely dependent on external events.

We can set ourselves up to feel good from within. Whether it’s positive self-talk or a cleaner diet, it’s a great foundation for good feelings that can withstand less-positive events that happen around us.

5. There is always enough. We talk a big game when it comes to acknowledging abundance, but this year, we mean it. This past year was filled with so many days that sped by, leaving little time for all of our plans.

But is that really true? Mindfulness teaches us to stop looking to the past and planning for the future. It’s the space between that gives us what we need. That space is where we stop, pick up our singing bowls, and spend a minute reconnecting with the here and now.

Trust us, there’s always enough time.

What did you learn in 2018? How are you going to apply it to 2019? Let us know in the comments!