Here we are, a little over four months into the year 2017 and boy am I a different person. In fact, we all are. I am not going to lie, the start to this year sucked. I have experienced a major heartache that I was not expecting. I lost and I was honestly defeated. I took this experience as I was weak and broken. I basically threw a grandiose pity party of one and expected someone to come save me. That my dear friends, is how I spent the first two of my twelve opportunities to make this year great. 

Previously, I wrote about having compassion to the wicked. It has been awhile, so if you need a refresher. I honestly barely touched on the topic as I had intended and looking back, my perspective has changed. As I mentioned before, 2016 involved the removal of toxicity within and around my life. If the last few months are any indication, removing the negative is something that you will be doing throughout your life. I do want to clarify that removing the negative does not necessarily mean cut someone out of your life, it means removing the negative within you. Why hold on to something that is holding you back from being the person you can and want to be? 

I have been focusing heavily on personal development within the last month or so and I am finding the more I focus on the bad things that happen, the more I am stuck in this defeated shell surrounded by a negative aura. The minute I accepted the situation for what it was and let go of what I could not control, I felt free. Alright, alright, it was not that exact minute but I did feel a weight lift within a short period of time. Moral of my personal rant is to live and let go. When you start focusing on things you CAN control, life starts to gain a different perspective and enables you to thrive. 

Before I start to sound cliche and annoying I want to go back to having compassion to the wicked. Loving and appreciating those who have hurt you is probably the best way to grow in my eyes. I personally have found that when I look at this from a perspective of you do not know what is going on in someone's life and their influence does shape you as a person, it is a lot easier to have compassion to the wicked. I may not have verbally appreciated my heartache, but I have learned from the situation and I am grateful for the lesson as well as the moments I have shared. Everything is temporary and I am learning that how I allow bad things to get to me then a temporary thing will feel a lot more permanent. 

If you take anything away from this, please live and let go. Live your life and let go of the things you cannot control. Accept and appreciate what has happened to you and be better. That is all we can do is try to be better, so give it a go and try.