“Sometimes, you have to look back in order to understand the things that lie ahead.”
― Yvonne Woon

Each month, I set aside time to reflect on the previous month: memorable moments, lessons I learned, how I spent my time, how I’m different, who/what I’m grateful for, improvements for next month, and goals to work toward. I try to be intentional in my personal development, and posting each month is a way to keep me accountable (it’s also built into my favorite planner, which is a nice reminder).

Three Lessons I Learned This Past Month:

• Be prepared for change. It’s always going to happen. It may be as simple as changing your expectations when traveling with someone new. Or change as in uprooting your life and moving halfway across the world. Go at it with an open mind, and you’ll grow.
• How you react reveals what’s in your heart. We can’t control our situations (somethings yes, but truly overall, not really), but our reactions show what we truly believe and what motivates us. If someone is annoying me, I can respond in patience or I can snap — both showing what’s underneath my mask. What do your actions and reactions reveal about your heart?
• Take advantage of what’s around you. Living in Europe, it’s easy to get lost daydreaming/planning our next trip to somewhere like France, Ireland, or Spain. But there is also so much to do in our local area, especially if you are willing to drive a little further. I’m starting to explore more and am loving this area.

Top 3 Highlights of the Month:

• Explored the Roman Forum with our first visitors!
• Bar hopped in Budapest’s “ruin bars.”
• Had the best gelato (so far) in Polcenigo.

What big lessons have you learned over the past month? Share in the comments below!