By the time you are all reading this, my 21st birthday just passed and I thought it would be a good time to reflect on the last 21 years of my life and all the little lessons I have learned so far. I know I still have quite a lot to experience, but for only being 21 I can say I have had my fair share of accomplishments and plenty of mistakes have been made.
I figured I could share some of my wisdom with the world because we all could use some inspiration every once in a while, right?
1. Life isn't always fair.
This is pretty straightforward, but you just have to remember sometimes when it seems like everything isn't going the way you want it to that it is probably for a reason and shit happens, you will be OK.
2. Everything works out eventually.
I am still working on keeping this mentality on a daily basis, but essentially it is just important to realize that everything will work out in your life the way it is supposed to. Worrying about things you cannot control will never change the outcome, so what's the point? You will graduate, you will get that job, and you will be successful one way or another. As cliche' as it is, everything happens for a reason and I will forever stand by that logic.
3. Embrace your alone time.
I am one of those people that truly appreciate being alone and practicing self-care. Sometimes it is nice to hang out with yourself and go on little night drives blasting your favorite tunes because, at the end of the day, you really only have yourself so you might as well enjoy being alone.
4. Put your phone away.
We are all creatures of habit and feel like we have to have our cell phone glued to our hands 24/7, but that is not really healthy. Taking some time to yourself and disconnecting from the world won't kill you, I promise, and it is actually really refreshing. The Do Not Disturb feature on my phone is probably my best friend.
5. It's OK to be single.
Instead of worrying about finding your soulmate every waking moment, recognize that you are so young and you have your entire life to find that one person for you. You are not weird for being single, even if it seems like everyone else is in a relationship. Go have fun!
6. Drink LOTS of water.
OK, you might think I am crazy, but hear me out. Drinking water has become second nature to me that when I don't drink it, I feel weird. I guarantee you will feel 100 times better and more energized throughout the day if you just gradually start drinking more water every single day.
7. Love yourself.
You are the only you that is on this planet, so take pride in it! Give yourself all that love that you give to others.
8. You don't have to have your entire life figured out.
Trust me, we are all in the same boat. Half of the time I feel like my life is a mess, and you know what, so does everyone else.
9. Travel whenever you can.
Being able to go to France last summer was the experience of a lifetime for me. If you have the opportunity to travel, definitely take advantage of it. You will learn and grow so much as a person, and you will never regret it.
10. Remove toxic people from your life.
You should never feel like you have to keep someone in your life just because you don't want to hurt their feelings. If they are not encouraging you to be a better person, or positively impacting your life, then ADIOS! You deserve better than that.
11. Be mindful of your money.
I am all for the "TREAT YO SELF" mantra, but make sure it is within reason. Don't spend the money you know you don't have, plain and simple.
12. Remember to practice self-care.
Taking those days every once in a while to binge watch your favorite Netflix shows is very much needed in order for you to stay sane, so don't feel bad about it. Going to the beach and getting my nails done is my form of self-care and trust me, it never gets old!
13. You can't please everyone.
You are just setting yourself up for failure if you think you are going to make everyone happy every second of the day. It just is impossible and it can be very exhausting. Just do your best and that's all that matters.
14. Work hard.
If you want to be successful in any aspect of life, you are going to have to apply yourself. Being lazy is not going to get you very far. Put in the time and effort when it counts and never give up on yourself.
15. Be kind to others.
ALWAYS be kind to others and treat others the way you would want to be treated. Even if you aren't having a good day or people aren't being kind to you. Karma is real and you never know how much your positive gestures could impact someone else's day.
16. Carpe Diem.
I love this saying so much I even have it tattooed on me as a reminder to myself every day. Carpe Diem means "seize the day" and I believe that is how everyone should make the most of their lives. Wake up early and enjoy your day to the fullest. Remember to stay present and not worry so much about the future.
17. Your parents are your biggest fans.
I don't know about you, but I got pretty lucky with my parents and I love them tremendously. They are always supporting me and encouraging me to be a better person and I could not be more grateful for that.
18. Stay true to yourself.
It is easy for us to get wrapped up in what everyone else is doing and feel the need to start acting like them in order to fit in. However, this is not the case. Always stick to what you know and make yourself proud. Your morals and values matter and should not be ignored.
19. Try new things.
I am one of those people who likes to learn about new things because I certainly don't know everything there is to know in this world. Go out of your comfort zone and take a class that interests you, or maybe even a new sport you always wanted to try but never had the chance to. Never stop learning or growing!
20. Don't gossip.
Be honest with yourself, how many times have you caught yourself talking negatively about someone else? I know I have done it too many times, just like everyone else. Even though it might be difficult to do, you should never gossip about people. It just reflects poorly on yourself and it is just a huge waste of time.
21. Stop comparing yourself.
I said it once and I will say it again: Comparison is the thief of joy. No one has a perfect life or the perfect body like you might think they do. What you see online is not always real. Don't waste your time comparing yourself to people who put on a fake face for Instagram. You are beautiful the way you are and that is something special. Own it!
