25 things i’ve learned in 25 years

I’ve changed a lot in the past 25 years of my life. I’ve learned a lot about myself, about others, and about the world in general. Some of these things were learned the easy way, and some were learned the hard way. As i head into my 26th year of life, i thought i’d reflect on the top 25 things that i’ve learned in 25 years:

 

People

1. Sometimes, people suck. Sometimes, they don’t, but you have to open yourself up to get to know which one applies.
2. People’s opinions of you literally D O N O T M A T T E R. The only one that matters is your opinion of yourself.
3. Don’t expect anyone to feel bad for you when you are going through something. They may seem empathetic, but at the end of the day, if they aren’t the ones being affected… why should they care?
4. Similar to #2, it is literally pointless to care what someone thinks of you. Once you stop caring, you will feel so much better and so much more confident!
5. Public speaking is not such a bad thing. Plus, now that you no longer care what people think of you, what is there to be nervous about?

Family

1. Family members will try to pressure you to succumb to societal norms. You don’t have to oblige.
2. It’s best to remember that you are from an entirely different generation than your parents when you have conversations with them. This way, you will get less irritated.
3. Just because someone is related to you doesn’t mean you will be close to them.
4. In fact, being related to someone can be the root cause of turmoil.
5. Appreciate the time that you have with your parents and grandparents while you have it.

Relationships

1. Just because he’s good-looking, doesn’t mean things will work out. Looks aren’t everything!
2. Letting someone try to change who you are as a person is never going to be a good thing.
3. It’s best to just not date anyone in high school, or middle school for that matter. Just don’t date until you’re in college, at least.
4. Worry about yourself first. Once you sort of have your stuff figured out, then maybe you can consider letting someone else in.
5. Don’t go looking for love. You will never find it. The best things tend to happen when you least expect them to.

Food

1. Just because you’re skinny and can eat what you want as a teenager doesn’t mean you will have this privilege forever.
2. It’s a good idea to pay attention to your parents’ cooking. Learn from them, because they won’t always be there to cook for you!
3. Counting calories/macros/etc is not totally necessary. Be aware of what you’re eating, don’t over-do it, and enjoy your food.
4. Eat oatmeal for breakfast. Every. Single. Day.
5. You can teach yourself how to be a great cook. It’s called YouTube, and food bloggers.

Life

1. The world is so big, and i have wasted a lot time being stagnant.
2. Traveling is the best way to find and get to know yourself.
3. Being uncomfortable is a good thing. Historically, i’ve grown the most as a person in uncomfortable situations.
4. It’s okay to not always have a plan. Some of my best memories have happened because of impulse decisions.
5. Leaving your hometown is the best thing that you can do for yourself.