I know I am not alone as I reflect upon the year that was for 2017. My top three life changing realisations (lessons) is something I have often shared with others but not fully embraced myself before. But now I am and it is my time to finally walk the talk. Unconditional love, expectations and choosing change all go hand in hand while standing alone in their own significant way. As I journeyed through this year of climbing rugged mountains, falling into an abyss of thick forests and bobbing along with the ebb n flow of the ocean, I reached a higher level of awareness on my spiritual path, as a result of many soul-stirring experiences.

Unconditional love begins and ends with love for self and for your Creator. Once you have this aligned within your mind, body, heart and soul then you can share the love unconditionally too! What does unconditional love mean for me? To take care of the vessel that carries my mind, my heart and my soul. Nourish it every day. Believe in myself, no matter the choices I make. Love me, know my worth. Have faith, trust and let go of all that no longer serves my highest good, including people, places and things but take with me the lessons and the love and leave the rest behind. Be open to giving and receiving. Do all that makes my soul soar. Live in peace. All of this and more is what unconditional love is for me!

From my experience, expectations only lead to disappointment, especially when created from ego. I wonder though, do we all have expectations of self and others? I have always had a high benchmark on myself and that is okay for me as it keeps me motivated, challenged and ticking along. When I stop having them on myself, I find I flounder away at this journey called life. I’ve fully realised, when I place mine on others, ultimately my ego mind is playing games, egging me on and edging God out! That’s when it all comes tumbling down and disappointment kicks in. Let go of all expectations and see what evolves, surprises are such a gift when living life!

Choosing change is scary but so is staying the same. I can’t express enough the gratitude I hold firm for the changes I have chosen across this year. What has become so very clear for me is, there is nothing wrong with encouraging self and others to constantly look at our own lives to see where changes can be made by self, for self and our highest good, singularly and collectively. When you place the expectation unfairly on others to make changes and they choose not to, what do you do then?

You choose what is best for your highest good – by acknowledging, accepting this is their choice and let it go or respecting yourself enough to walk away. None of these choices are that simple or easy but in the end you have to do what is right for you!

With gratitude 2017, I say ‘thank you’ for these lessons and the blessings that came from them, for they are equally priceless!