24 Things I’ve Learned In My 24 Years + Bonus Advice from Mom

With my 25th birthday looming and my frontal lobe closer to becoming fully formed each day, I have been wanting to reflect on the best pieces of advice I’ve received and things I’ve learned along the way (so far) that have helped me get to where I am now.

24 things I’ve learned in my 24 Years

1. It really is the way you react to things that matter – more than the actual thing you are reacting to.
2. You are going to go through uncomfortable and/or hard times. It’s best to go push through and eventually accept them rather than push them down and run away.
3. You are on your own timeline – you’re not falling behind. Time is going to pass at the same pace no matter what you are doing.
4. Trust your intuition.
5. Don’t wait until the morning to put gas in your car.
6. Drinking water is going to help with your skin more than any acne medication.
7. Little kids are going to look up to you whether you like it or not.
8. Some people aren’t meant to be in your life forever. Some are there to teach you something, some are there to help you through something, and a very few are there forever.
9. You can’t take back words you say just like you can’t forget some that are said to you.
10. You can DIY pretty much anything – I’ve learned how to do so many things just by watching a YouTube video.
11. You have to prioritize your mental health just as much as you prioritize your physical health.
12. Always assume the other people driving on the road are the worst drivers in the world.
13. It’s important to learn how to get validation from yourself rather than relying on it from others.
14. Whenever it is a safe option, walk.
15. People still love to receive handwritten cards and letters.
16. Problems always seem bigger at night – and nothing good happens on a cell phone after 10pm.
17. Anxiety can be crippling and cause physical symptoms. Just because it’s anxiety-induced doesn’t make it any less real.
18. Don’t go to bed angry – especially with yourself.
19. If you’re upset for no reason, you’ll be surprised how much better some food and a big glass of water will make you feel.
20. Don’t yuck someone else’s yum. We all have little weird things that we like.
21. The type of music you listen to is going to significantly impact your mood.
22. Not every hobby you have needs to be monetized.
23. It is always better to get your thoughts out than keep them in. Even if it’s just writing them down.
24. Everything ALWAYS works out in one way or another. The only time it doesn’t is when you die.

Bonus Advice from Mom

As I was coming up with this list throughout the week, one thing I noticed was how much of this advice came from my Mom! This made me laugh because just the other day we were having a conversation about how the older I get the more I catch myself becoming more and more like her. From the way I dress, to the food I buy, to the places I choose to stop at during a road trip – I really am becoming more like her everyday. I used to get annoyed when I’d tell her I wasn’t feeling well and the list of questions she’d ask:

Have you drank enough water? Have you eaten anything? Did you take Motrin?

And now I catch myself not only asking myself those questions but asking it to my sisters and boyfriend and friends when they tell me they aren’t feeling well. I made a shorter list of pieces of advice my mom has given to me throughout the years that both make me laugh and have become ingrained in my life every day:

1. Always wear nice underwear when you leave the house in case you get in an accident and have to be taken to the hospital.
2. When you really don’t want to do something but need to do it, give yourself a 5 minute warning beforehand and then complete whatever it is in 10 minute increments.
3. Wear tennis shoes around the house when you need to clean up – it makes you work faster.
4. Don’t be friends with people who talk bad about others to you – because they’re talking bad about you to others.
5. Nail salons are great for special occasions, but most of the time you are completely capable of doing your own manicure and pedicure.