I’ve been wanting to write about life lessons for a while now. Initially, the idea came when we were all stuck inside. I learned a lot about myself during that time, as I’m sure many others did as well. With my 26th birthday approaching in a few days, I felt that sharing the blog post now would be more meaningful. In no particular order, these are the 25 things I’ve learned at the age of 25. Most of these lessons came from my personal experiences; others came from books I read, podcasts I listened to, or even advice I’ve gotten from family/friends. I hope you enjoy these insights as much as I enjoyed learning them.

1. Let it Go – Don’t ruin a good day, with something bad that happened yesterday.
2. Ignore the haters – Do what makes you happy and don’t let others judgments cloud your own.
3. Give it Time– Time truly does heal all wounds.
4. Don’t Compare Yourself to Others– Always try to beat the person who you were yesterday.
5. Be More Mindful– Do something every day for your mind, body, and soul.
6. Stop Overthinking– Worrying is like giving energy to something you don’t want to happen.
7. Smile More– “Smile in the mirror and watch yourself smile back.”
8. Love Yourself– “Your relationship with yourself sets the tone for every other relationship you will have.” Once you love yourself, everything else will follow.
9. Be More Present– “Life is what you make of it today.”
10. Accept– what cannot be changed and learn to improve what can.
11. Get Moving– You won’t only get in great shape, you will feel good in doing so.
12. Relationships Change– (As per my last blog post), Every person we come across plays a role in our lives, even if it’s only seasonal.
13. Be Independent– I don’t mean this as in a “I can do everything on my own” kind of way. Instead, learn how to not be dependent on someone else for your own happiness, experiences, freedom, enjoyment, etc.
14. Stop Accepting your Own B.S.– Stop blaming things on your stress, anxiety, anger, depression, and so on… but instead learn ways to improve those things.
15. Meditate– Take some time throughout your day to stop and focus on your breath. Quieting the mind is essential to daily happiness.
16. Live Thankfully– Appreciate what comes. Gratitude can change anyone’s mood in an instant.
17. Know Your Worth– Don’t let your crown fall because you are busy trying to hold someone else’s.
18. “Open Eyes, Eager Mind”– Never give up on an idea until you’ve tried it for yourself.
19. Find a Hobby– that fuels your own energy and brings happiness to you.
20. Be Picky– With your friends, your time, your energy, what you consume… At the end of the day, it’s your time. Use it wisely.
21. Hold Yourself Accountable– Set goals for yourself, no matter how small or large. Applaud yourself when that goal is achieved, but at the same time, don’t beat yourself up if you don’t achieve it.
22. Affirmations-Fuel your mind with positive and encouraging words to yourself and others.
23. See Beauty– within the world, other cultures, religions, different ideas, views that may differ from yours.
24. Listen to Your Heart– Because it will never lead you astray.
25. Be Unique– I’ve always loved the idea of not being what people expect me to be.

I hope you took at least one thing from this list. If you found it insightful, I’d greatly appreciate it if you shared this blog as I love sharing my thoughts and ideas with people. One more beautiful year has passed in the journey of knowing myself!