Scott Couey

2011 - The Year of Learning

I am a big advocate of learning – if you’re not learning at least one new thing every day you need to reevaluate a few things. Learning enables growth mentally and it keeps you challenged. As I look back on 2011,  to say I learned a lot would be a huge understatement. Here are just a few of the highlights of my lessons learned last year.

1) Saying “Goodbye” is never easy – Last year I had two influential people in my life pass away. My best friend Jennifer’s mom Jolene passed away in March and one of my former youth group volunteers, Paul Fife lost his life in December. Both Jolene and Paul had a huge impact on my life and their deaths were unexpected. It’s just a reminder to always let people in your life know you love and appreciate them, as you don’t know much longer they will be with you.

2) Visit things that remind you of your childhood often – In November, I went to see the movie The Muppets and was transported back to when I was a child. Hopefully the Muppets are back and here to stay.

3) How much I rely on my iPod – I had to replace my iPod in 2011 after three years of usage. The hard drive was corrupt and as a result it wouldn’t work. I was without a functional iPod for almost a month. I love my music and this was truly torture for me. I couldn’t go running or even relax at home with music.

4) Just because things don’t happen the way you think they should doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing – I learned this in several different situations last year. One of the main ways was in my job/career path. I lost my job at the end of June and I am still job hunting to this day. The cool thing is there were several things I would not have been able to do if I had a job at the time. I’ve been blessed with amazing friends, an awesome church, and a great small group that have all made what would have been a difficult time much more bearable.

5) It’s okay to take a break when working to accomplish your goals – I have been 13 months without a Diet Dr Pepper, so I thought I would try to do the same with just drinking water. I went almost 3 weeks and got sick – the taste of water made me nauseated so I had to try something else while I was trying to get over my intense sinus infection. I didn’t go back to sodas, but I did go back to sweet tea. My goal is to get back on track within the next few weeks with just drinking water since I am finally starting to get over being sick.

6) It’s okay to be single for a little while – I intentionally decided not to date anyone in 2011. It was nice to just have some  “me time” and not have to worry about anyone else. Last year was not a good year for celebrity marriages: Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries only lasted 72 days, Sinead O’Connor and Barry Herridge lasted only 18 days, and Katy Perry and Russell Brand lasted about a year. Relationships take work and you can’t just give up because it isn’t easy or convenient. Problems will occur that can’t be solved in 18-72 days. This time away from dating allowed me to refocus on how I could do my part in helping a relationship truly last.

What is one thing you learned in 2011?

Photo Credit: By Kathryn Greenhill