Friday 26 August 2016

23 Things I've Learned in 23 Years

Image from Ashley Creates Things

I haven’t done a lot of posting this week because I have been so busy! I worked 7 am-9 pm Monday and Tuesday, 7 am-6 pm on Wednesday then I worked 8 am-8:30 pm yesterday. Plus, I slept over at my client’s house Sunday night until Wednesday.
This week, I have honestly had a bit of a writer’s block. I usually sit at my client’s house and think of a ton of ideas but this week, I have slacked. I’ve ran the ideas of 50 Activities for Seniors and Why I Love Working in Palliative Care through my head multiple times. To be honest, I have spent so much time with seniors this week that I needed to clear my head for a few minutes from them.
I decided that I would do the 23 things that I learned before turning 23.
1.       Always listen to your parents. They usually do know best, but as young adults, we don’t often realize this until it’s too late.
2.       In order to personally grow, sometimes you have to end a relationship.
3.       Sometimes you’ll break up with someone, even though you still love them.
4.       Every once in a while, you’ll outgrow someone. Even at 23, I am still letting go of some of my childhood friends. There comes a point in some relationships where they become toxic, no matter how long you’ve been friends with that person. In my personal experience, when friendships become toxic, there’s not a lot you can do to savage them. Maybe that friendship can be rebuilt in the future, but in the moment, you need to focus on the now. No matter how shattered that friendship is, always cherish the positive memories you’ve had with that person. Those memories are still important.
5.       Old friends are just as important as new friends. In Girl Guides I learned a saying and it was make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other’s gold. For a long time, I was neglecting to spend time with my best friends from high school. I was fascinated with new people and building new relationships. Looking back now, I regret not spending time with my older friends more.
6.       Always pay attention to your grades in post-secondary education. How many times you got drunk, how cute you looked at a party or many flings you have zero relevance on a resume.
7.       There are many things that I continue to learn on a daily basis from guys. The #1 thing that I’ve learned though is if he treats you like shit, leave. In the moment, you may think that he’s the only guy that you’ll love; but you’ll find someone who treats you like a queen.
8.       Don’t ever let anyone tell you that your dreams are stupid. I had a high school guidance counsellor talk me into a complete different field, however, $40 000 down the drain and I’m working in the area that I wanted to since I was fifteen.
9.       Find your passion and stick with it. Life’s too short to do something you hate.
10.   Social media is not a popularity contest. How many likes/comments/shares you got is not going to get you anywhere in the real world!
11.   Don’t use social media when drunks. Don’t your phone at all when you’re drunk. You always end up messaging the people that you promised yourself you wouldn’t.
12.   Crash diets fucking suck. They don’t work either. Seriously. Just eat healthy and workout, you’ll achieve your goals and keep them.
13.   Every girl needs a little black dress that they can dress up or down.
14.   Every girl needs a pair of black flats to wear regularly.
15.   It’s important to acknowledge your skin’s needs. I neglected my skin for many of my teen years, and now I am just starting to get acne at 23.
16.   Everyone deserves to laugh!
17.   Don’t try to change someone. Find someone who loves you for you.
18.   It’s okay to stay in. It’s also okay to have one too many drinks when you do choose to go out.
19.   Your first hangover will suck! I got my first true hangover this past NYE. I remember driving from the party to my ex-boyfriend’s the next morning with the worst headache and him smirking the whole drive home because I could no longer refer to him as “the old man who gets hangovers”.
20.   Breakups fucking suck. There is no other words than that. You loved him, you aren’t expected to move on from him, the emotions and the memories surrounding that relationship in a day. My advice? Grab your favourite wine and dance it out to Where Does the Good Go by Tegan & Sara.
21.   You’ll develop feelings for guys that you know you shouldn’t. Just ride those feelings out, something will happen if it’s meant to be. I hate to sound preachy, but everything happens for a reason.
22.   In a materialistic society, it’s really important to evaluate your wants vs. your needs. Additionally, it’s important to realize whether or not you’re living outside of your means. This is one thing that I’m personally still working on.

23.   It’s okay to cry. Anyone knows me knows that I am a crier as well as a hugger. I work with seniors, and there are so many days that I just broke down the second I got into my car. There’s so many movies that I’ve started crying over in the theatre. There’s many nights that I’ve cried myself to sleep over boys and friends. Crying is not a sign of weakness. It shows that you’re human and you have emotions.

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