I turned 26 on March 29, 2019. It's not a major mile-stone birthday to most but for me it was. It is closer to 30 and really had in my feelings which resorted to self-reflection.
Taylor Swift had a piece in Elle Magazine on 30 things she learned on turning 30. As I read through her list I thought this could be a good mental exercise to cope with turning 26. Blogging is my therapy so I bring my list you today!
26 Things I've Learned In 26 Year of Life
1. Cherish moments with your parents. As a person who lost their father at the age of 19 I would give anything to have one more moment with him on earth. When you’re young it is easy to focus on your own life but take time to be with the people that made your life.
2. Travel to see how others live outside of your comfort zone.
3. Focus on important moments. I look back at how quickly elementary, high school, etc. flew by. At the moment I kept wishing to hurry on to the next thing. Not thinking in the future that the current thing would be the very moment I wished to re-do.
4. People will come in and out of your life and that’s okay. Relationships in any capacity can be seasonal. That does not make them any less meaningful.
5. Your body is ever changing. I used to focus heavily on losing weight now I am shifting my mindset to a healthy driven emphasis.
6. Being alone is okay, in fact it is a great time to learn about your true self. I am still learning that it is better to be single than in an un-happy relationship.
7. Unless there’s a ring on your finger do not devote your entire self into a man. I have done this because true love in my mind meant giving 100% even if you aren’t getting it in return.
8. Death changes people. It changes the way you view the world the moment you experience it. It will continue to occur and it is just a part of life.
9. Google, YouTube, Pinterest – Those are your best friends and you do not need a man to help you build that dresser. Just read the directions.
10. If you don’t know the way, find and/or create it. There’s been countless time I had no clue what I was doing such as; blogging, school work, work related tasks, finances, etc. But somehow, I always find my way through it.
11. I live by the 3 F’s “If they are not F***ing, FEEDING, OR FINANCING YOU, screw their opinions.
12. Shut up every now and then. You don’t know everything and sometimes a simple, “I am here to listen,” goes a long way.
13. Water is the adult drink. Alcohol is great but several glasses of water a day will make you feel so much better.
14. I am finding my own sense of style within decorating my apartment. Home décor is a lot of fun(expensive) but fun.
15. That momentary frivolous purchase may boost your mood for a bit, but it will not last. I had(overcoming) a bad habit of “treat yourself” a little too much. I am looking within myself for other alternatives, such as exercise and blogging to combat the need to buy something to make me feel fulfilled.
16. My father was an excellent dad but not husband. My parent’s relationship has severely scarred how I view dating. I am learning that in the past I gravitated to people like my dad. If I want a healthy and sustaining marriage in the future I have to dig deeper to stop that pattern.
17. By the way you won’t be married or on your way to be married with a baby at 25 like you thought. That is okay, you are finding self-reflection within your journey which may not be possible, had those things happened.
18. Friends can become your family. I have friends in my life I consider just as important as my own blood.
19. The moment someone shows you their truly colors, believe them. Do not try to make up excuses for bad behavior and listen to your gut when you know it’s best to walk away.
20. Being a bully and speaking ill on someone else does nothing but put more evil out in the world. Tearing someone down to bring yourself up only makes you look sad.
21. Your hair is not your crowning glory as you may have thought growing up. Your hair is an extension to your look. When I chopped all my hair off in college after several years of damage I had to shift my focus on what beauty really looked like for myself. Beauty is strength and confidence.
22. I learned having to explain your feelings on certain situations/topics fall on death ear if the other person is not willing to actually make a change to understand. Age old quote, “Actions speak louder than words.”
23. Others have it way worse than I ever could imagine. The fact that I am breathing with all ten toes, fingers, two legs, two arms, functioning sight, etc. is a blessing. The fact I can go to work, invest in my hobbies/interests, sleep without fear, and speak freely is a BLESSING. I try to not take that for granted because my circumstance could be way different.
24. Taking up a hobby you truly enjoy is good for the soul. Blogging has been such a positive method of therapy for me. It is hard to digest it took me this long to fully engulf myself into it.
25. I have really made a point to fully follow through with what I have planned to do ranging from small to big tasks. Example – Making my bed every morning, finishing that full 30 minutes of cardio, washing every dish not just majority. Those examples are very random, but you get the point lol.
26. 26 is not old. Growing up I thought 20 and 30-year-old folks had it all together, however they’re just figuring it out like me.
What is on your list? What have you learned in your # of year in life? Share 1 item with me in the comments!