23 Things I’ve Learned in 23 Years

I know you all are probably not used to seeing a blog post from me on the weekends, but today is officially my 23rd birthday and, because of that, I wanted to share 23 things I have learned over my 23 years of life so far.  I always love seeing these kinds of posts from other bloggers, and, honestly, I just love looking back on these kinds of posts! I can’t wait to look back on this post a couple years from now and see what my life is like then compared to now or how I might have changed and/or thought differently.

Now that I am turning 23, I am really starting to feel like an adult, and it’s a super weird feeling that also really excites me.  I guess because I just finished school, I still had somewhat felt young or like a young adult, and now that I am out of school and working a full-time job, I feel kind of old tbh haha.  I know that 23 is a young age, but now that I am officially adulting, it just gave me those feelings and it really inspired me to write this post and share my life thoughts and how life really is too short.

1. Everything happens for a reason

I have always been a firm believer that everything happens for a reason.  Through all the experiences I have been through in my life, I know that things just work out the way they are supposed to.  While we all experience bad things in our life and even question why it might be happening (because I know I definitely do this too), that’s just the way your life was meant to be, and something better is always coming.

2. Don’t be afraid to get out of a toxic relationship

This may sound bad, but I have definitely had my share of toxic relationships growing up, whether that be with friends or boyfriends, but the number one thing I took out of those horrible relationships is that you should never be afraid to get out of it, and you should never feel guilty about it either.

3. Do what’s best for you

I’m not trying to sound selfish here, because while it is very important to think of others and their happiness, you also need to think of yourself and do what’s best for you.

When I was in college, I made the decision to switch campuses of my school.  Being on my main college campus for my first two years was definitely important and a good experience for me to have, but after two years there, I knew it wasn’t for me and I just wasn’t happy there.  The thought of two more years there was something I couldn’t handle.  When I made the decision, I knew some people wouldn’t be too happy about it, but I was.  And it turned out working so much better for me and made me a lot happier.  Looking back on it, I’m glad I made the decision I did and went for it.

4. It’s ok to make mistakes

This is so, so important because we’re all human! We all make mistakes! I used to always put way too much pressure on myself to be perfect, and while I still sometimes do in some instances, it’s just not realistic and is totally ok. Making mistakes is how you learn and better yourself and should never make you feel bad about yourself.

5. It’s ok to ask for help

When I was about 17 or 18, I developed mild anxiety and asthma, and because of that, I was really freaked out.  The amount of panic attacks I had really scared me and I knew I needed someone to talk to because I had no idea what was going on as I had never experienced it before in my life.  And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Because I found help, I was able to calm down more and accept the fact that this was something I had developed and was going to have to live with. I now rarely experience these problems, but know that it could still happen.

6. Life is too short

People always told me this my whole life, and I didn’t really ever believe them.  Now that I am already completely done with school, working, and turning 23 and having to think about adult things, my opinion on that has completely changed and has made me realize that life really is insanely short! It’s made me realize that I should never waste my time and has totally changed my mindset.  It has made me want to go out and try new things and experience life because it goes way too fast!

7. It’s ok to rest

On the subject of not wasting time, I’ve learned that it’s totally ok to rest and relax.  We all live busy lives and our bodies need time for rest and relaxation.  This is something that should never be thought of as wasting time because it is so important for our lives and for our health.

8. Don’t worry about what others think of you

I am a firm believer of you doing you.  Everyone is different and has different opinions on things, but that should never, ever stop you from being yourself and doing what you love or what makes you happy.  Again, life is too short for that!

9. Dream big

Set goals and dreams for yourself and make them a reality! When I first started blogging, I had a big dream in my mind of what I wanted the outcome to be, and it is something that I am getting closer to and still working toward today to make it happen.

10. Work hard

Nothing worth having comes easy, always work hard and make your dreams come alive!

11. Treat others how you want to be treated

Simple and to the point, always treat others how you want to be treated.  This is so important in any aspect of life.  If you’re going to be rude to someone, it shouldn’t be any surprise that they’re rude back.

12. Travel and adventure

Travel as much as you can in life because it is so important and a great experience to see the world and experience new things and ways of life.

13. Do something that scares you

Whether that be moving to a new city by yourself, riding a rollercoaster, talking to a guy that you really like, don’t be afraid to do something that pushes you out of your comfort zone, it will make other things seem easier too!

14. Always be confident in yourself

Never doubt yourself or worry about your insecurities, embrace everything you do, you’ll feel overall happier and better about yourself!

15. Never settle

16. Always be yourself

If there’s one thing that really bothers me, it’s people trying too hard to be like someone else or straight up copying someone else, and not truly being themselves.  Everyone is unique and has something to offer so why not just be you?

17. Live a healthy lifestyle

Turning 23 I’ve really learned how important it is to live a healthy lifestyle.  It really is so important to stay healthy and active, eat well, listen to your body, take care of your skin and yourself, and be happy.

I’ve played tennis for about 12-13 years, and while I no longer play competitively, the time that I did spend playing competitively for 6 years has already taken a toll on me.  My knees and toes are already pretty messed up for a 23-year-old and I already know it’s going to treat me worse when I am much older too.

18. Travel by yourself

You can really find out so much about yourself when traveling solo.  While I haven’t traveled solo as much, the experience I have had with it has already taught me things about myself that I am so glad I learned and has made me stronger.

19. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger

That Kelly Clarkson song really spoke to me, haha, but it’s actually so true.  Going through more and more bad experiences overall make you stronger as a person and that is something so worth having and going through.

20. Get out of a situation that makes you unhappy

Whatever you do, don’t be forced by yourself or by others to stay in a situation that makes you unhappy.  It’s not worth it.

21. Your soulmate is out there

Through all of the terrible relationships I went through with ex-boyfriends, one thing that I was always confident about and something that I strongly believe in for everyone, is that your soulmate is out there, and there is always someone for everyone.  While some may meet their soulmates before you meet yours, doesn’t meet yours isn’t out there.  Everyone always finds their way to each other at some point.

22. Listen to your body

23. Stay positive

Staying positive is so important in life and it’s crazy how much of a difference it can make on your entire outlook on life by staying positive each and every day, even through the worst of situations when it may seem impossible to.

If you made it this far, thank you so much for reading! I know this post was a bit long, but these are things that I have learned throughout my life that have made me who I am today and believe might benefit those of you reading as well that you might be able to take something away from this post too.

 

Thanks for reading and have a great rest of your weekend!

 

XX

Kelsie