With my birthday slowly approaching, I thought I should write about the 21 things I’ve learned before turning 21. I have gone through so much these past 21 years and I have acquired some pretty good advice.
1. Every morning, you choose your mood for the rest of the day.
The second you wake up, you can choose to have a good day or a bad day. Choosing happiness, even though things don’t always work out in your favor, can improve your life in so many positive ways.
2. Having a small circle is okay.
In high school and the beginning of college, it was always such a competition to have the most friends. That doesn’t matter! Having a small circle and a handful of good, genuine friends is so much better and more meaningful than having a million half-hearted friends. Don’t sweat having a small circle.
3. Tattoos are cool.
This may be a personal opinion, but tattoos are beautiful and don’t always have to have a huge sentimental meaning in order to be on your body forever. It’s your body, your choice. I got a blue lightning bolt tattooed on my hip for absolutely no reason last week because I was having a bad day.
4. Don’t stress about the future.
This is hard for some people to grasp, and was very hard for me, because I like to plan my entire life at 3 a.m., but it is so important to know to not stress about the future. It literally does not exist. The future is the future because it can change at any moment. It is good to have an idea of what you want to do, but worry about today more than tomorrow.
5. Always invest in your shoes and your bed.
Yes, buying a $100 mattress pad and buying a lot of nice shoes might seem crazy, but you are either going to be in one or the other, so invest in your comfort.
6. You deserve to be treated with respect. Period.
Just because you have been friends with someone since high school DOES NOT mean you have to continue to be friends with them especially when they treat you terribly. Do’nt surround yourself with negative people. Don’t do it. You deserve to always be treated with respect.
7. Don’t feel like you need to impress random strangers.
The only person you need to impress is yourself because you are the most important person in the world.
8. Exercise and eat healthy.
I’m not saying you can’t have anything unhealthy, but invest in yourself and save your future self from health issues by eating right and exercising now. You’ll thank yourself later. And you’ll feel better.
9. Appreciate your parents.
They don’t live forever. Losing my dad has been the hardest thing I have ever had to go through and it has taught me to always appreciate and respect my parents and the time I have with them.
10. Don’t judge a book by its cover.
This one has been the basic advice I was given since I was little and it still pertains now. You never know what someone is going through, and it is not your job to judge them or even give your opinion on something you know nothing about.
11. Enjoy being alone
Being alone doesn’t mean you are lonely. It is so important to check in, spend some alone time with yourself and be okay with being alone.
12. Learn when to be done with something.
If it doesn’t benefit you anymore, be done with it.
13. Go after everything you want.
Even if it seems crazy, don’t let anyone tell you you can’t chase your dreams.
14. Have confidence even if you are not confident in yourself.
I don’t want to say fake it until you make it but if you pretend to have confidence, and carry yourself in such a way, you will gain confidence over time and have a whole new aura around you.
15. Never put man first.
Never, and I mean NEVER, put a man first, above your friends or above yourself. You are the most important person. …And he probably isn’t worth it.
16. Always make your bed first thing in the morning.
This small little act can change the whole day. It makes your room seem more organized, and it’s one thing you can check off your list and feel more put together.
17. Make lists.
I’m huge into lists. They organize my thoughts, help me keep things on track, and there is nothing more satisfying than crossing something off of a to-do list.
18. Take a lot of pictures and videos.
Take pictures and videos of you and your friends, a random dog, save that random Snapchat you took when you had an idea. These pictures will make such amazing memories in a few years.
19. Change the word “regret” into “I made the best possible choice at the time”.
You don’t have to live with any regrets, and you don’t have to remember past mistake as regrets. You made the best choice at the time and with the circumstances given to you and that’s good enough.
20. It’s okay to outgrow someone.
Don’t ever feel ashamed of outgrowing someone. No matter how long you’ve known someone but they’re taking a negative toll on your life, you don’t need that. Accepting this and not feeling guilty about it has changed my life and lifted so many weights off my shoulders.
21- Don’t worry about anything, it’ll all work out.