(Originally Posted on February 16, 2015)
I turned 25 yesterday and reaching this “quarter of a century” milestone has inspired me to share some important things I’ve learned along the way. Some of you may understand and some of you may not. Some of you may say, “She’s just 25. What does she know about life?” Either way, thank you all. I wouldn’t be here without the lessons I learned from each of you. :)
- You will never be able to please everyone. And you will likely only drive yourself crazy trying to do so. Work on making yourself happy and eventually you won’t need validation from others.
- There is something truly rewarding about giving back. Doing good things for others and just genuinely being nice is a mutually beneficial deed, especially when nothing is expected in return.
- Time will fly fast enough, so quit rushing your life. It’s okay to look forward to certain events, but don’t forget to enjoy the present moment as well.
- Don’t take one single breath for granted. You are not guaranteed anything in this life so appreciate what you have while you have it.
- Friends come and go, and that’s not a reason to be sad. If the friendship (or any relationship for that matter) has to be forced, it’s not worth it. Remember that, some friendships may hold you back from greater things, and in that case… you may need to just let them go.
- Make a bucket list and cross things off of it. If nothing else, it will make you realize what an amazing life you actually have when you look at all of the things you’ve accomplished.
- Be thankful for your mentors. You may not actually label them as such, and you may not have even sought them out, but look around you – they’re there. And they’re your biggest cheerleaders.
- Be selfish and take risks. It’s an interesting concept actually. You were taught your whole life to share, and that being selfish was bad. Wrong. You can only truly appreciate and care for someone else when you are happy with yourself. What’s the worst that could happen? You don’t get the result you want? Someone tells you no? It builds character. Besides, “a life without challenge and risk is not worth living.
- It’s not always easy. Just when you think you have things figured out, a new challenge you’ve never encountered comes your way. Don’t worry, all of this is teaching you how to handle your emotions, and is preparing you for the next stage of your life. Call them “growing pains.”
- Failure is the best teacher you will ever have. Thomas Edison failed more than 1,093 times before he successfully created one of the greatest inventions of all time. He didn’t let failure get him down, and neither should you.
- Stop putting happiness on hold. You only get one shot at this thing. Do you really want to waste it being miserable, regretful, or delaying your happiness? Quit saying “I’ll be happy when I have this…” Be happy NOW.
- There’s nothing like a good conversation with real people. Sure, social media can be fun, but don’t forget the value of face-to-face communication and engagement. Put the phone down.
- You are not defined by money or your job. And it really means so little in the grand scheme of life. I have to quote Gary Vaynerchuk here, as he said something so unbelievably true. He said, “It’s really fascinating when you talk to a 70, 80, 90-year-old person – because you start realizing what they’re focused on. I have never heard a 90-year-old person ever say they wish they’d made more money. Never. Ever. Zero. The things you hear are very similar, like ‘I wish I didn’t work at that factory for 50 years.’ Or, ‘I wish I’d spent more time with my family.’ And you start realizing, if these people have played the game, then why are we not listening to them?” Which leads me to my next point...
- Your parents and grandparents won’t be here forever. So ask them questions about their life and really get to know them. After all, they’ve lived a lot longer than us and they just might know a thing or two.
- Fear and worry solves absolutely nothing. It only takes away from the beauty of living in the present moment. Get rid of that and move on.
- The relationship you have with yourself is the most important one you’ll ever have. Don’t base your self-worth on other people. Relationships should be fun and fulfilling, not stressful and forceful. You deserve better.
- Spending time alone is essential. Being with just you and your thoughts from time to time doesn’t mean your sad, mad, or whatever. Sometimes you just need to step back and reflect.
- Don’t ever make a decision based off of what someone else thinks. Sure, your family can give great advice (and they may have lived a lot longer too) but no one can make the best decision for you, except for you. At the end of the day, you’re the only one living YOUR life. So don’t feel bad for making yourself happy.
- You can make a career change at ANY point in your life. If you aren’t doing what you love, then what are you doing? Your days should be spent enjoying life, not walking into a job you hate every morning. If you aren’t being fulfilled, then find something else.
- It’s important to have a healthy lifestyle, but don’t obsess over it. You can’t take your body with you when you go. So go ahead and eat that extra slice of cake. You know you want to.
- You can never read too many books. There’s nothing like getting lost in a good Nicholas Sparks book, or even a motivational one to get you up and feeling great about life. Turn off the TV.
- Don’t apologize for your feelings. It may hurt someone at first, but it’s best to always be honest and true to yourself. They will appreciate you later on down the road.
- Listen to the whispers. You know what I’m talking about. Your intuition and gut feeling is almost ALWAYS right. Don’t ignore what the universe is telling you.
- Don’t worry if you don’t have it all figured out. NO ONE does. Some are just better at acting like it. You just have to live your best life and trust the process.
- Everything happens for a reason. And that goes for both good and bad things. Appreciate the free lessons you get from life and know that everything eventually works out for the best.