Cheers to 25!! – Sweaters and Sweets

Cheers to a quarter of a century !!!

You know when things weigh heavy on your heart and you just have to get them out? I started writing this post when I was sitting in a Chick Fil A waiting for my oil to get changed just, ya know, reflecting on my life hahaha. (side note- you can still get chicken minis past 10:00 am lol!!!)

Happy Monday ya’ll! Yesterday I turned 25 and it was such a fun weekend celebrating, relaxing and spending it with family and friends. I can honestly say that this past year definitely brought the most change. I truly can’t even begin to imagine all that’s in store for my 25^th year, and I can’t wait!! I thought it would only be appropriate to share 25 things I have learned in my life.My hope is that you can relate to a few, reflect on where you are at in your life and know that you aren’t alone. Beware I’ll keep it really real with you guys and it might get a little touchy feely, what else is new (lol).

Have faith in God’s plan for you and look to him for guidance. I recently talked about my journey into the business world and to say that this wasn’t in “my plan” is kind of an understatement. I have always struggled Big Time with giving up control and would fight to the death to change something I didn’t want to happen (I’ve become a little less stubborn over the years… a little). I really think my relationship with God was tested and strengthened this past year and I went to him for direction more than ever before. Faith is a funny thing and sometimes we don’t always agree with his timing but we have to believe his plan is much better than ours.
Embrace change. Let me just start off by saying that I have and probably still am very uncomfortable with things in my life changing. However, change is a part of life so I’m starting to just embrace it. I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason whether I can see it at the time or not. Over this past year I have recognized me actually hoping for change and wanting a challenge. If you’re not uncomfortable you aren’t growing.
People will root for you to fail, tell you that you aren’t good enough, smart enough, and not capable of success; Prove them wrong. I grew up the awkward tall kid that no one really wanted to hang out with. I was bullied, called stupid, anorexic, ugly and everything in between. There were so many people that told me I couldn’t do something. Just hearing those words made me want to prove them wrong. YOU are beautiful, smart and capable of ANYTHING and don’t let anyone tell you differently.
Someone else’s success does not determine your failure. Be there and be genuinely happy and proud of others triumphs, your time will come.
No one is perfect and we are all just trying to get through this crazy thing called life together. The comparison game is a real thing and to be honest I’m still trying to navigate through it. However, it’s important to remember that everyone puts the best of their best on social media. 99% of the time when I post a picture I’m not all done up, or wearing makeup and am rushing out to someplace with a million things I need to do, never once caring about how I look. Just remember that haha.
Learning to be independent is so crucial for your development. I never used to be the independent type. Now I will go out to dinner, the coffee shop and anywhere I please without even thinking about it. I have met some amazing people, had the funniest/ heartfelt conversations with random strangers that I would have never had if I were with my girlfriends.
No one is ever thinking about you. Haha it sounds harsh but it’s so true! We spend so much of our life worried about what people might think or say when in reality no one really cares.
Failing at something means your doing something and doing something is better than staying stagnant #amiright?
It’s okay to not be okay. Every single person has felt hurt, low and wondering how they can get through the day. You aren’t crazy for feeling the way you feel, feel your feelings it teaches you a lot. Also don’t be afraid to go to a therapist, it got me through some really hard times.
There is a never a ‘perfect’ time to do something. You will always have a million reasons why right now isn’t the most ideal or ‘perfect’ time, but guess what? It doesn’t exist. If you want something, you go for it. When I started my blog I was unhappy with where my life was at, not to mention broke. I knew it wasn’t the best time but I really felt this pull to create this platform, so I just did it. Remember the grass isn’t greener on the other side.
Knowing how to apologize sincerely and take and accept responsibility for something is one of the most useful things you can learn. Admit your flaws and try to be a better person every single day.
Treating people the way you want to be treated doesn’t mean you will get the same in return, stay cautious. I have HATED learning this lesson because I live by the mantra “find the good in people”. Just remember; Hurting people, hurt people. Be kind anyways.
Find what makes you happy and do it as much as possible. Once you start ‘adulting’ it can be hard to find a balance. Don’t sacrifice the things you love, just find a way to incorporate it in your life. Balance is key.
You only have one set of teeth; take care of them and wear your retainer every single night!! haha
“Success doesn’t bring happiness, happiness brings success”. When you are happy with who you are, why you are here and enjoying what and where your life is at (whatever stage that might be) you become more ambitious, productive and it sets a great foundation for your future. No job, location or person can fill that void.
Be quick to listen and slow to speak, (this one took a while haha). Listen to what the other person has to say and try to see where they are coming from. You become more approachable and valued more when someone knows they can come to you.
Your relationships have to be equal. I have spent way too much of my life (more than I would like to admit) prioritizing someone or a relationship that wasn’t putting in the effort. One of the hardest lessons I learned was that you can’t put in the effort for both of you, they have to meet you halfway.
Learn to put yourself first; it’s okay to be selfish. I used to be the biggest people pleaser. I would find myself never saying no to anyone and wanting to be in a million places at once; I even found myself sacrificing my own happiness and what I wanted for someone else. A lot of people will try to take your time, be greedy with it because you won’t get it back. The biggest thing I learned is that you come first and that’s OK. Remember saying no is just as (if not more) important than saying yes.
Listen to your heart but trust your gut, it’s always right
Don’t forget to celebrate all of the little victories in your life. Oftentimes we forget to look at the little things because we are so focused on the long-term gain. We get so discouraged because we aren’t where we want to be but we don’t stop to look back and see all that we have already accomplished.
Take it day by day. Try not to worry about what the future holds. We spend so much of our life worried about what our future will look like instead of figuring out what we want and running with it and enjoying the stage it’s at. Remember, you can always start over.
Embrace when things aren’t going the way you want. This may sound crazy but it really makes you appreciate the good. Remember nothing lasts forever.
You get what you pay for when it comes to skincare, invest in quality and ALWAYS wear SPF!! Also, don’t bake out in the sun all summer long. It’s terrible for the longevity of your skin. Self- tanners are the way to go!!
The relationships that you’ve had for a long time will go through different stages. As you both grow and learn and evolve over time your relationship might shift a little bit, but that doesn’t make it any less strong. I used to hangout with my best friends every day all day for years straight. With time comes, moves, marriages, job changes and everything else in between. I’ve realized that it’s not how much time you spend with those people but the effortlessness it takes to pick it right back up where you left off.
You don’t have to get sh*tfaced to have a good time; But when you do, Pedialyte (before and after) and advil is the way to go haha(;

Here’s to learning and growing for the next 25 years! Thanks for following along with me(: