Clichés catch a bad wrap. Yes, they're unoriginal. Yes, they're "deep", profound statements that can be seen sprawled across an array of hallmark cards and memes, wowing us with their overused brilliance and glory. But unfortunately, no we can't get around the fact that these worn out, go to game givers are a lot of the time undeniable truth (Chuuch). You may have heard them a thousand times, but never realized just how profound they were until you were standing knee deep within their comforting wisdom. Here are five clichés that have come to pay me a visit this year (click each clichè to hear a song that I enjoyed listening to this year):

🔸Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance.

Its true. It's one thing when we say we want to do something. We may constantly think and talk about it. We may even set that thing as a goal. But then we have to be honest with ourselves when it comes to how much time and effort we're willing to commit to preparing ourselves to carry out our goal through to completion.

I can clearly see how my level of preparation on any given thing had a direct impact on my level of performance. Preparing myself for things I said I wanted to do this year has literally been my saving grace when its come to completion of a number of things (and likewise when it has come to my lack thereof).

🔸You miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take.

Hand in hand with preparation would have to be execution. What good is all of that preparation if you never put it to use in live time? At times it can be tempting to want to over plan and prepare to be sure that everything goes accordingly, but you never want to miss a chance to strike while the iron is hot.

I applied for an apprenticeship program a few months ago and the process was very meticulous and daunting. I did this while essentially just beginning to learn how to code. There was a chance I wouldn't be accepted, but I didn't let this deter me from applying and following through with the process. I ended up getting accepted, but had I played it safe and waited until I felt "ready" I would've missed out on a great opportunity.

🔸There are no guarantees in life.

Which brings us to our next cliché. You can want it with all your heart. You can work harder than you've ever worked. You can do all the right things. You can prepare and even execute at just the right moment...it doesn't mean that things will always turn out the way you want them to turn out...and that's not always a bad thing.

The sooner I was able to accept this truth, the easier it was for me to forge ahead looking at things as more of a lesson than as a loss. And when viewed from this lense, I was able to see the many ways in any given situation where there were things that could have been done better.

🔸If you love something, let it go..

Loving someone or something does not mean clinging and gripping on for dear life. It does not mean holding on to our demands, what we expect or feel we need or imposing our version of love onto someone. Sometimes loving someone or something requires the exact opposite of this. It sometimes requires that we let go..

I learned this year that sometimes when we learn to let go of those things and people we love the most, when we learn to let go of those expectations that some of the time were maybe even unrealistic, those demands, the grasping, it allows more freedom to focus on what is needed within, thus more insight as to what is needed in order to love and feel loved. I've been able to show up for myself in ways I had forgotten how to. Letting go also freed those loved ones and things up and allowed them the liberty to choose what they needed in order to love and feel loved.

I now see this--the need to grasp, over-extend, cling as a sign...if I need to do these things, is this thing or person really for me?

🔸It's never too late.

So what if you don't know how to. So what if you've never tried to do it before. So what if you feel like you're too old or not old enough. So what if nobody else believes you can do it. So what if the odds are stacked against you. As long as there is air in your lungs you can at least TRY to accomplish anything you put your mind to.

As I've grown older, I've noticed that with time and familiarity, we tend to doubt and downplay our very own capabilities to grow and expand beyond our present roles, duties and responsibilities--whatever they may be at any given time. I've watched numerous adults in my life do it and came to the realization this year that I had fallen into this pitfall myself.

We stop trying to shatter the glass ceilings of our potential. We become stuck and fixed into a limiting mindset. We play it safe. We tell ourselves, "It's too late.." to learn new things. To visit new places. To start that workout regimen, To get our GED. To get our passport. To go to college. To start a family. Fill in the blank and know that whatever it is, there is still time.

Thank you for taking the time to check out this post! If you liked what you read, please upvote, resteem and of course follow me @talea.monet

Be sure to check out my previous posts below

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