Eternally Grateful

So I've realized that blogging really helps me clear my head and release all my worries, fears, frustrations, etc. I guess I could just get a journal - but I type much faster than I write....all those years of typing on my fingers, I guess. (inside joke, sorry). Blogging is my outlet. We all need an outlet. Whether it's golf, scrapbooking, reading, or drinking a beer on your back porch. It doesn't really matter. It just needs to be something you enjoy that doesn't cause you more stress or frustration. It can take all day or just a few minutes. Something that you can get "lost" in (and I don't mean Facebook). So do yourself a favor - find an outlet. Be selfish every now and then - it's ok. Nobody will hate you for it. They might actually learn from it. I've learned a lot over the past year of my life. Some things I wish I didn't have to learn. But most of it I'm glad I did learn. And most of it I learned from someone else. I've learned that becoming a better version of yourself isn't "changing" like people always talk about. "Oh, you change as you get older." No you don't - you just improve. I'm still the same old Layne I've always been...... just a little wiser, a little stronger, a little more patient. It just happens with age, I guess. I've learned not to hold myself back because of irrational fears. I've learned that Who you know really DOES matter and it's not wrong to use your connections to get what you need and want in life. I've learned that people aren't always what they seem. I've learned that saying "I told you so!" CAN be rather humorous sometimes..... :-D I've learned that listening to the experts can get you much farther, in any endeavor. I've learned that shooting for the moon really does land you among the stars, as long as you're willing to try. It's not just something on a poster in your elementary school. And on the flip side, I've learned that never actually getting to the moon is still a little disappointing, even though all those stars are pretty. So I guess my point is that I've grown a lot as a person in the last few years. For that, I'm grateful. Grateful to those who listened, those who helped, those who gave advice, those who hugged me when I cried, those who encouraged, those who pushed me when I wasn't willing to push myself. And mostly to those who encouraged my faith when it was at it's weakest. Thank you. I'm eternally grateful - literally.