Twenty-Five Things I’ve Learned in Twenty-Five Years
Sounds like it took me forever to learn these things, but, that’s what life is all about, isn’t it? 😉 Some of the things listed below are done in humor, others were learned with a little pain, and others might be things that I learned myself or because of something I observed from someone else’s life, OR some profound wisdom someone else shared with me along the way. And to add to it, I’ve included some insight on each learned thing, and (hopefully) some wisdom for you, my reader!
I will do my best to stick to listing them from the order of earliest learned to most recently learned to give a fun “growing up with me” sort of perspective. 🙂
And without further ado- twenty-five things that I have learned in twenty-five years of life!
Walking is hard. And no, for me, it doesn’t get easier. Between the stumbles, trips, or complete face-on-the-ground falls…walking and I just can’t be friends.
Tying your shoes is NOT worth trying to trick your teacher. You will learn how to tie your shoes, and it WILL be ok, and you really won’t mind tying them. Seriously. Just suck it up and learn how to do it.
Slides mean you go down- even when you try to go up. All 7 or 8 year olds, listen up- when an adult tells you, “Hey, Johnny, don’t walk up the slide,” they mean it. They aren’t trying to be mean or damper your fun….they’re only trying to save you the pain and embarassment should you face plant into the metal slide that you’re walking up, and they really don’t want you to break anything…such as your front tooth, for example….
Don’t let other kids try to tell you what you really should be wearing. Who cares? Wear what YOU like and what YOU are comfortable in. Don’t even give them the time of day. Let them laugh. Be you!
Always, ALWAYS wear your hair how Mom told you to for picture day. So what if you think your hair looks better in a half-up and that she won’t really notice if you leave a few pieces framing your face- SHE WILL NOTICE. If Mom said, “Wear your hair down,” it doesn’t mean, “Wear most of your hair down,” IT MEANS, “Wear your hair down.” DOWN. Like, ALL of it. It ALL needs to be DOWN.
Do NOT cut your own bangs before age 16. Whether you’re just bored, or you want them cut because another classmates bangs are cool, don’t do it. Put the scissors down. Do not pass GO, do NOT collect $200, and certainly DO NOT cut your own bangs before you can color between the lines…or drive a car….this definitely should be a new law.
Whenever possible, wear a helmet. This will save you many ER trips and concussions. And speaking of concussions…
Always, always take adequate time to rest between concussions. Doesn’t matter how you feel or how well you seem to be doing, rest…just please freaking rest. Post-Concussive Syndrome IS a real thing, and it REALLY does suck.
Never, EVER settle. Don’t settle for any guy, don’t settle for any job, don’t settle when someone says you can’t do something, and don’t settle with mediocre. Don’t settle for peers, don’t settle for bosses, and don’t settle for leaders. Be respectful, but don’t ever take anything or anyone at face value. Do your research, and know the why behind the what.
There are stupid questions in life. But that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be asked. Clarification never hurt anyone.
High standards for a boyfriend are NEVER a bad thing. Never let ANYONE try to tell you otherwise. Stick to your convictions! Only fall for a man who loves Jesus and who loves you and romances you! It IS worth waiting to find a man like this!
When you move out, peanut butter and jelly is acceptable at any time. And it seriously will probably be the best thing you will make until you get married! (Or, at least, it will be for me!)
Oh, and not having to share your jars of PB and jelly is equally as awesome as PB+J at any time. No need to say more here. 😉
It’s OK to say no! Don’t upset yourself over upsetting others. It’s seriously not worth the inner turmoil you will put yourself through when you try to take on the world all in the same moment.
As long as you have a good base coat, pretty much any nail polish will do. It is totally cool to experiment with brands here!! Forget spending lots of $$MONEY$$ on nail polishes when you don’t really need to!
Spontaneous dance parties are totally acceptable. And they are a great workout- especially for toddlers before nap time!
Always make time for family. Friends come and go, but family is forever, and the things you learn from them are priceless. You were put together in their lives for a reason…don’t try to understand why, but definitely make the effort to spend time with them.
Don’t be ashamed of your singing voice. True, I’m no Celine Dion, but God gave me the voice He did BECAUSE HE WANTED TO, so, why should I be ashamed of a gift from my Heavenly Father??
When receiving a compliment, always thank the complimentor. I really can’t think of how to say this without sounding like a total jerk, but I’ve realized that it sounds a little selfish when you give abcd reasons why you can’t possibly accept xyz compliment because it seriously cannot be true…and, it sort of robs the joy of complimenting from the complimentor. So, thank them for noticing. You don’t have to completely agree with what they say in order to thank them.
Handmade cards really do impact people more than you believe. It goes a long way- not only taking time to send a card, but making it yourself…well, that goes a REEEEALLY long way.
Good shoes will make a HUGE difference. For how your feet/back will feel, for how your outfit will look and feel, and for your overall appearance. And (hopefully) your podiatrist WON’T yell at you! 🙂
Do not EVER try to wear heels longer than 4 hours at a time. Your podiatrist will probably yell at you if you do….but if he doesn’t, your feet certainly will take care of that for you!
Don’t take things so personally. It can be pretty hard to not do this, but it will give you more peace and even help solidify your confidence when you don’t overthink or look into things.
Take care of yourself. This includes in your finances, your food choices, sleeping enough, and drinking enough water. Start this sooner rather than later. Your body now, in the future, and your loved ones will seriously thank you.
Mom DOES know best- MOST of the time, at least. Even after you move out, you will not only need her advice still, but you will actually WANT it. And you will call her sometimes just to hear her voice. And you will WANT to spend time with her. And you WILL be friends with her. She was right about everything all along. Right when she told you the guy you were dating was bad news. Right when she “predicted” when you were getting sick. Right when you cooked a preventable fatal dinner. Right when she picked out clothes for you that looked flipping awesome on you. Right when she told you not to get that haircut because it wouldn’t accentuate your face shape. Right when she helped you pick out haircolor and said you should avoid Sun-In. She usually knows her stuff- because she has been through her own set of 25 (and a little extra!) things she’s learned, too. ❤
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