It occurred to me just this week that, hey – I’m 26 years old. How did that happen so fast? And then I thought, what have I learned? To celebrate the number (even though it has been 6 months since my birthday), let’s keep this list at – you guessed it – 26.
- People come and go. Someone might feel like your ultimate BFF right now, but in a couple of years or so she might feel like a complete stranger.
- A lot of important life decisions and epiphanies happen in the shower. Really.
- Stop taking things personally. It just makes things difficult for you and you alone.
- Reading is a pretty good habit to form. I grew up reading a lot of fiction, but only recently realized how helpful non-fiction can be.
- Singlehood is not a curse. I was single for a long time before I met my boyfriend. It was lonely at times, but it was also a great opportunity to enjoy myself and build relationships with the people around me. Now that I have a boyfriend, I don’t feel restless or trapped because I was able to maximize my time when I was on my own. And I’m also enjoying myself now, building memories with Billy.
- Love comes when you least expect it (when you aren’t actively seeking it out). Enjoy where you are right now, and it’ll eventually happen.
- Don’t stalk your exes online. Just don’t. It isn’t worth it, I promise.
- If your gut is telling you not to scarf down those fries, then you probably shouldn’t. I just ate fries and I feel sluggish.
- Forgive and move forward. Unforgiveness is like quicksand. It sucks you in and you get stuck. Forgive, move on.
- Document your memories. I recently bought myself a couple of Instax cameras and I’ve been using them to visually document priceless moments.
- Choose your friends. You don’t have to be friends with everyone. However, that isn’t free license to be nasty to whoever you want to be nasty to. It’s just the perfect time to narrow down who actually is in your inner circle and work on growing those relationships.
- Be kind. You don’t know what other people are going through. Your kindness might brighten someone else’s gloomy day.
- Never cheat. I got cheated on once and it felt horrible. I’ve long since forgiven that person, but I don’t think I have it in me to make someone feel as awful as I felt at the time.
- Help other people. Just give it a try. You have no idea how fulfilling it feels to have helped someone in need.
- Appreciate your family. They’ll always be there, even when you mess up. Sometimes a nice, long talk with mom is enough to make you feel better.
- Cooking is an essential skill, and it’s never too late to learn.
- Always have a pen and paper handy. You never know when you’ll need it.
- You don’t need to have it all figured out at 26.
- No matter how tired you are, it’s always a good idea to remove all your makeup before hitting the sheets.
- Sometimes all you need to accomplish something is courage.
- Learn to drive stick. It’s an essential skill.
- Things might not look or feel okay right now, but things will start to look up. Even in the midst of a low season, you will always find reasons to smile.
- Get a best friend. Someone who’s going to be sorta jealous of your new boyfriend, but will accept him and get along with him anyway because he makes you happy. Someone who’s always going to be there and will be willing to pass you antibacterial wipes under the gas station’s restroom stall when you get an upset stomach in the middle of a car ride.
- Exercise. It’s hard to start a workout plan and it requires a lot of effort, but it always feels a lot better when you’re finished exercising.
- Learn to trust people. Even after you’ve been burned. Projecting all your emotional baggage onto your current relationships only hinders growth.
- Don’t be afraid to try new things. Be open to new people, new experiences, new opportunities. Life is an adventure.
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