23 Things I've Learned in 23 Years
I can’t believe today is the day that I turn 23.
LIKE WOW.
I’m old. JK.
I decided that the best way to celebrate this new age is to talk about all the things I’ve learned throughout my adolescent and young adulthood.
Let’s just get started because this list could go on for days but I’ll just keep it at 23.
It’s okay to cry and to be emotional - when you spend your whole life trying to bottle up your emotions and to act like you’re okay. you’re doing more harm than you know. SPEAK UP. Let your emotions and feelings out. BUT don’t live in it. Cry it out, vent, and keep it pushing
friendships will come and go - I’ve lost so many friendships throughout the years which I used to hold dear to my heart but as you get older. You start to rely on yourself and GOD than on others. You also start to be more picky about the people you choose to let in. NOT everybody deserves to be called a FRIEND.
love is crazy and will make you go crazy - I’ve had plenty of experiences of having my heart broken and breaking others hearts that I’ve learned that the best way to handle relationships is to be open and honest and stop playing games. I rather be upfront and get my feelings hurt than waste time on figuring out where a relationship is going.
don’ t accept bs from anyone - You better act like you know who you talking to. If you don’t respect me or my time than you will be one less person I have to deal with. I don’t deal with people who think they know it all or approach me like they think that they’re better. NO you’re not, and I will let you know that through my actions/words.
put a 100% into everything you do - don’t sell yourself too short, anything that you truly want you can get. JUST WORK ON IT.
do what you want despite others opinion - people will talk and give you unwarranted advice but if you have your heart set on something do it. don’t let others opinions sway you on the choices you make for your life.
don’t be rude - I don’t like rude people and I believe in treating people how you would want them to treat you.
move on from things that don’t help you - this means people, things, and situations that hold you back.
don’t be afraid to put yourself out there - you want something, you want to try something, or you just want to make a big change. DO IT.
listen - it can be hard at times to take directions or guidance but if you need the help. Make sure you ask for help and that you listen to what they say.
focus on your faith - work on your own relationship with Christ and don’t let people force it on you. GOD wants you to come to him on your terms not others.
patience is key - I’m not going to lie. I hate waiting but the best things take time. SO WAIT.
comparison is the thief of joy - you can spend all day comparing your lemons to someone’s watermelons. you will always fall short. learn to look at the things you have going on instead of others.
be grateful - I often found myself being ungrateful when things don’t go my way but when you think of all the things that have gone your way. You will realize that you have more things to be grateful for than not
don’t look for outside validation - stop trying to seek validation from others regarding your appearance, your lifestyle choices, or anything else. It’s important that you seek validation from within. It's hard but try it.
LOVE HARD - when someone chooses to love you unconditional and makes you feel like the QUEEN/KING you are. you let that person know how much you love and appreciate them because they deserve that same love back
DON’T SETTLE - life is too short for you to be unhappy or depressed. Don’t settle for things that you know you could do better. If you don’t think you will do better. Let me tell you “YOU DESERVE BETTER” now drop the dead weight and be bad with your bad self
learn to forgive - It’s easy to hold grudges but the moment that you let go and let GOD. you will not only feel better but that person will no longer have a hold on you.
keep away from toxic people - forgiving is great but that doesn’t mean that you should continue to surround yourself with people who don’t have your best interest
Discernment is crucial - be able to tell if someone or a situation is good for you or bad. Don’t make haste decisions. Make sure to think it through. Just because someone believes in the same GOD as you doesn’t mean their the best fit for you.
Prayer is good for the soul - I am one of those people who don’t like to pray with others. I know it’s weird but I prefer alone time with GOD so I can tell him exactly how I feel. Praying for me is like Therapy. Once I talk to GOD, I feel way better and happier. So however you feel close to GOD, do that more often. I personally love my morning car talks with GOD.
don’t take this life for granted - as you get older, there are a lot of things that start to happen. For me, I’ve recently lost classmates from my high school to either suicide or murder. It’s a sad and dreadful thing to think about but it happens. It’s important that you tell the people that you love that you love them and that you appreciate the time that you have on this earth because it could be taken away at any minute.
LIVE LIFE FEARLESS - it’s easy to take the easy and less traveled route in life but GOD didn’t put you on this earth to live life SAFE. He wants you to live life the way he has designed your life to be and that might require you to be more fearless. If you are scared of stepping out of your comfort zone, take time to evaluate the reason why you feel this way, and take the necessary steps to get out of that worried or fearful state. YOU DESERVE TO LIVE A LIFE FILLED WITH PASSION AND PURPOSE.
If you have gotten this far into this post. I just want to take the time to say that I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart for showing support, reading my posts, and just showing love. I’ve always felt like my life is bigger than me. I wasn’t put on this earth to be selfish or to think about my own self- interest but to help others the best way I know how. I hope this blog makes you laugh, gives you great advice, and creates a healthy environment for you to express your own thoughts and opinions.
I want to thank you in advance for any happy birthday comments that will be left in the comment section below. ( lol if there is none than this is awkward.. lol) I hope that this post has inspired you to work hard towards your own dreams and to put your self-care first.
If you have any suggestions of what I should write about next, leave it in the comment section below.