Photo by: Jasmine Tovar
My twenty-second birthday is rapidly approaching, and I thought it would be a great time to reflect on some things that I have learned in my 21 years on this earth. Not all of them are deep meaningful things but they’ve all made an impact on me. Maybe these are things that you’ve learned or maybe not. Let’s get to it!
1. Karma is too real
I am a firm believer that what you put out into the world is what you get back. I once wished for my brother to get stopped by the cops and given a ticket just because he’d made me mad. Needless to say, I was the one stopped by the cops and given a ticket the very next day! It definitely taught me to never wish bad on anyone because that bad usually comes back to bite you.
2. Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover
This is a very old saying but it is definitely true. Outside appearances don’t always reflect what’s on the inside. . Don’t judge someone based on their appearance, judge them on their merits. You never know, you might like their true self!
3. Your opinion is not the only right opinion
Opinions are tricky. Everyone has one, and while I might not necessarily agree with others’ opinions, it doesn’t make their opinions any less valid than mine. Just because you may disagree doesn’t give anyone the right to be rude. That’s the beauty of it, we all think differently. Respect each other’s opinions and we’ll get along much better.
4. Self-Love is the Best Love
Loving yourself should be first and foremost. Too often than not we’re told what the standards of beauty are and I’m calling BS. We’re all created differently and there’s a reason for that. No one else is like you, so love what you were given, self-love looks good on you darlin’!
5. Save Money
This is something that I’m still learning. I have the urge to splurge more than I should, and it is very difficult for me to save money. But I know that if I save I’ll be able to do all the things that I want to, but this is definitely a work in progress for me.
6. Forgiveness is Key
As cliché as it may sound, forgiveness is for you and not for the other person. When you forgive a person for hurting you, it frees you from that hurt. It allows you to move on with your life and it doesn’t allow the person that hurt you to have power over you.
7. The Most Important Thing in Life is Family
Friends come and go but family is forever! I talk to my family on a daily basis. Don’t wait until it’s too late to really start loving them!
8. Beyoncé is The QUEEN of EVERYTHING
Actress, Singer, Dancer, Entertainer, Humanitarian and now rapper? Yup! Beyoncé literally slays everything that she touches. In a world full of Kim Kardashians, be a Beyoncé!
9. Not Everyone Is Going to Like You
This is something that I learned early on in life. Not everyone will like you and that is OK! As long you like who you are then everything is fine! Screw what others have to say, your opinion of yourself is the only one that matters.
10. Nobody’s Perfect
The only thing worse than a person who doesn’t own their mistakes is probably someone who thinks that they are perfect. We are all flawed individuals and that is perfectly perfect. We weren’t created to be perfect. We all make mistakes, and we grow from them. Life is too short to walk around thinking that you can’t change because you’re already perfect.
11. It’s OK to be Afraid
I learned this one from Mulan II. The future is a scary thing and it’s ok to be afraid but don’t let that fear keep you from chasing your dreams. It’s not supposed to be easy, but the real challenge is how you fair when doing something that scares you!
12. Bridge to Terabithia is The Saddest Movie of My Childhood
There is nothing truer to me than this! I watched this movie this past summer and it is still the saddest movie I’ve seen from a kid’s perspective. Yes, I still cried!
13. Own Your Mistakes
I’ve learned that it is not only great but it’s necessary to own your mistakes. There is nothing worse than a person who can never admit that they are wrong. It’s ok to be wrong but it is never ok to blame others for your wrongdoings!
14. 90s Music is the Best Music
I’ve listened to many eras of music but tried and true the 90s have the best music!
15. Women Run the World
Who runs the world? Girls! There are so many women who are inspirations to me and I love the fact that women are go-getters. We can have babies and still be on our A-game when it comes to anything in our lives. So yes, women run the freaking world!
16. It’s Ok to Splurge
It is great to save but every once in a while, it is ok to splurge and buy yourself something nice. I have to work on the splurging because I frequently spend money on things that I don’t need but my wants sometimes trump my needs more often than not. I’m learning not to go overboard though.
17. Treat Others the Way YOU Want to be Treated
I learned this in elementary school and it holds true to this day. If you want someone to treat you with respect, then you must treat them with respect. If you’re negative, expect negativity back. You get what you put out and being a nice, positive person is the way to be!
18. It’s OK to Fail
Failing is not the end of the world. It’s about how you overcome that failure. I failed a class last semester and I could have let it get me down but I’m not. I’m bouncing back even greater than before. I’ll be damned if I let a failure define me! It’s all about perception!
19. Beauty is Only Skin Deep
You can be the most beautiful person in the world and it means absolutely nothing if you have a crappy personality. So be nice to people because those gorgeous looks are only going to get you so far.
20. Don’t Split Poles
This one is kind of crazy but ever since I was a child, my grandma has instilled in me to never split poles. It brings bad luck and I am a firm believer in that! So, if you ever split a pole with me, just know that I’m holding you accountable if I end up with bad luck!
21. Everything Happens for A Reason
Call it fate or destiny, but I firmly believe that everything happens for a reason. Whether it be a break up, a promotion, a setback, or failure, it all happens for a reason. Sometimes a setback is a setup for a major comeback! Just have a little faith that everything is going to work out and you’ll be fine.
These are my 21 and I’m looking forward to learning new things. Hopefully you knew some of these things but if not, I hope you learned something new. We’re constantly learning things every day, and it’s great to reflect on some of the major things we’ve learned in life.