birthday collection! | 24 bite-sized lessons in 24 years

Yes, this is one of those cheesy “24 lessons in 24 years” blog posts. I tried coming up with a cute name to make it less cheesy but I don’t have anything going for me there. So these are 24 bite-sized lessons I’ve learned in my 24 years on this silly lil earth! This is part of my birthday collection! A series of post all about birthdays <3

1. It’s OKAY to have regrets 

People will try to act like they don’t have any at all. I tried acting like I don’t but I do. Most people do. AND that’s totally OKAY!!! You are allowed to feel the emotions of regret when things don’t go as planned or we missed out on something. However…

2. Don’t allow yourself to live in the past. 

We get caught up in our emotions sometimes (including regret) which can lead to us ruminating and staying stuck in those emotions much longer than we should. The past is there for us to look back at and visit sometimes but it is never somewhere we should take up permanent residence. The past is a place that should learn from and push up to try new things. 

3. Fear is your best friend. 

EVERYONE SAYS THIS but like because it’s true. I hate to reiterate it but the best things happened to me when I did what scared me the most. Whatever feels good but also causes a deep pit in your stomach to form, is what you should be doing. 

4. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. 

So fear is a compass that points you in the right direction. Once you’re doing that thing that scares you, you’re going to be uncomfortable. Some days you will want to peel off your own skin and hide under a rock. But as time goes on it’ll get better and you will be comfy again. That’s when you’re ready to jump into something new and guess what!?? You’re gonna be scared and uncomfy again!!! So start getting familiar with it. 

5. Strengthen your relationship with failure. 

People fail ALL. THE. TIME. Most just don’t talk about it. If you fail you are not the odd man out you are part of the majority. Yet we still go about our day to day life and everything is alright. Don’t be scared of failure, failure is just a stepping stone and you’ll probably step on it a lot lol. It doesn’t mean you’re terrible and nothing is ever going to work out at all. You will get there and you will be OKAY! 

6. Loneliness is common. 

As we get older we start to have a lot more responsibility, commitments, and different levels of energy that can cause us to lose our highschool friends. At times I felt like it was only me who was feeling this but as I talked to more and more people it turns out a lot of us are feeling this. If you are thinking you’re the only one, you’re not. 

7. You can still find loving meaningful friendships no matter how old you are. 

As kids we have a better opportunity to make friends. We’re all in school, have the same schedule, and are forced to see each other almost everyday lol. So yeah it was easier but I hate when people say you can’t find a friend group in your 20’s. No matter what age you are you can find the right people that will put in just as much effort for you as you would them. I did it and you can do it too! 

8. Work isn’t important. 

LMAO maybe you’ll think I’m some entitled Gen Z kid by reading this but I stand with what I say. WORK IS NOT IMPORTANT. If you are prioritizing your job over your family, health, and happiness something needs to change. Your job WILL replace you the moment you’re gone. So why are you sacrificing SO much for them (granted I am talking about 9-5s that ARE taking advantage and overall terrible to their employees so if you found a wonderful 9-5 that you gen feel loved at, good for you!! You go!!!) 

9. Your dreams ARE worth chasing 

I don’t care who tells you otherwise. If you see yourself accomplishing something then create some false confidence and go for it!!! We’re given those images in our head to bring them into fruition to this world. It’s your gift that you have to give! 

10. Some people just aren’t going to like you and that’s not any of your business

Just like you won’t like some people. It might be their attitude, beliefs, etc or maybe not. They just don’t vibe with you and you just don’t vibe with them. That’s none of your business!! You don’t need to know who doesn’t like you and why, it’s just wasted time and energy 

11. Treat yourself to luxury

It can be something small like a high quality pen or big like your first designer handbag. When you treat yourself to luxury you FEEL good. You realize that you have access to it just like anyone else and it starts to get the ball rolling so you can bring more of this into your life. 

12. You don’t need an aesthetic 

Aesthetics are so much fun! I love them and think they are so cute but don’t feel like you have to conform just to one. You can express yourself in any way you want and if it’s not all cohesive that’s okay. Maybe you have a dark academia inspired living room but you dress in princess core on the daily…That’s okay!!! Do whatever makes you happy and don’t feel bad about it. 

13. Stick up for yourself and BE LOUD

If you catch yourself consistently having thoughts about how you do everything in the household and your partner never pitches in, how your mom always says mean things and she wishes she would stop or how your friends always dog on you for being single SAY SOMETHING. Put boundaries up. Tell them exactly what’s on your mind. If you stay quiet the only person that is going to be struggling is you. 

14. Therapy is magic 

At least that’s how it felt to me. It’s normal to go to therapy and you’re not broken, damaged, or weak for going!! It’s like tending to your little brain garden and making it beautiful by loving it. It’s so helpful and effective! 

15. Becoming your own best friend is EVERYTHING 

When you love yourself, and hype yourself up in your mind your entire world really begins to change. You begin to shine, have confidence, and take action to change your life for the better. Learn to love yourself and take care of yourself even if it’s tiny lil baby steps at first like looking at yourself in the mirror and being kind. 

16. You’re allowed to forgive yourself. 

We do a lot of dumb shit as kids. We do a lot of dumb shit as adults. It’s okay to finally forgive yourself for whatever it is you did and let go of that weight. 

17. Do more of what you love 

Especially when you do it just for fun and not monetary gain! Making money while doing what we love is AMAZING and feels so good! But we CAN do things just because we want to and love them. You can bake macarons and not post it on instagram or make bracelets for you and your friends just because. Start incorporating more of those moments in your daily routine

18. Take it slow. 

Revel in the day to day mundane tasks as well as the euphoric in flow tasks you take part in. If your washing the dishes take your time with it. Cleaning the room? Take your time. Working on your creative hobbies? AGAIN SLOW. SLOW DOWN. We are all just trying to check more things off of our to-do list that we rush through life. Slow it down and enjoy even the simplest pleasures. 

19. A solid routine makes a difference 

Whether it’s a morning routine or night routine it doesn’t matter. Heck you could even do a lunch routine. Having some sort of foundation in your life that you can always go back to helps so much. It helps you make good habits, break bad ones, and keep you grounded. 

20. Meditate more lol 

Like genuinely meditation has so many crazy amazing benefits!! You can do it anywhere and you don’t need to spend any extra money to do it! Meditating has helped me so much and really helps me self regulate when life is getting tense 

21. SPEND TIME WITH YOUR PETS

Just do it. Love them. Enjoy the companionship and freak out over how cute they are. Spending time with your furry/watery/reptilian friends rlly makes like more livable 

22. Ask FOR MF HELP!!!!! (Looking at you capricorns) 

I’m a capricorn so I can say that lol but seriously!! You’re not a burden or needy if you ask for help when you really need it. Plus people love feeling needed. You will be surprised how ready and capable your friends and family are when it comes to helping you. 

23. Worship your body

Take care of it. It loves you. It works everyday to keep you alive and get you around. Nourish it. Move it. Stretch it out. Pleasure it. Do all the things you know will make it feel good to give yourself a bunch of love. 

24. Age is but a number

And I don’t mean this when it comes to relationships (BC AGE IS A NUMBER AND A VERY BIG ONE WHEN IT COMES TO CONSENT AND RELATIONSHIPS) but I mean when it comes to doing new things, going after your dreams, and thinking about yourself. You aren’t too old to go back to school. You can dress however you want. You can dye your hair any color. IT DOESN’T FUCKING MATTER!! I still love hello kitty and sanrio and I’m now 24. Women especially get a lot of shit for getting older. We’re marketed to on the daily to keep ourselves looking young. Fuck that lol. You can do anything you want. Embrace the grey hairs, the wrinkles, etc. Dye your hair, get botox, etc. It’s your life. It’s your body. You do what you want and do not let age be a deciding factor in anything that you do!! <3333 

So those were my 24 very random and very cute lessons I learned over 24 years of being alive. Moral of the story is do what you want, be cute, and be kind. We only have this one life to live and I have decided to live it to the fucking fullest while finding some sort of happiness and magic everyday!