Birthday Reflection

Monday of last week, 3^rd July, marked the beginning of my 20^th year on this planet (double decades, woo!) and the day before, 2^nd July, marked the exact middle point of 2017, the beginning of the second half of the year. This led me to think about what my 20 years has taught me, if it has taught me anything, and what I would like the rest of the year, as well as the next 20 years to bring. 

1.       Life is hard

Granted some days are harder than others, and helpful methods such as yoga and meditation are the key to battling and controlling stress, but adult life is complicated. There is so much going on all the time, a never ending to do list, and the looming thoughts that you should be doing better no matter where you are or what you’re doing.

2.       Having a small group of best friends will always trump having a large group of just good friends

I used to be very jealous of the large groups of friends at school who would always have the ‘gatherings’ at the weekend. The ones who would never have to worry about who to sit with at lunchtime because there would always be someone they were friends with there. I’ve never been unpopular, but I was definitely not in the popular groups at school and always wished I was. But now out of my teenage years, I am so grateful for my friends, and our closeness that has carried through the years, compared to the larger groups whose friendships all dispersed as time passed.

3.       You have to work for what you want in this world

Nothing is handed to you on a plate. There has been a lot of talk about success depending on who you know, rather than what you can do recently, but despite this you still have to work hard to achieve what you want. And hard work makes success more rewarding when you achieve what you work for.

4.       Be yourself

I used to dislike my loud personality, and it’s true that at times my inability to think before I speak can get me in trouble. But I’ve learnt that my enthusiasm is exciting and I would hate hate hate to be shy and quiet. And most importantly, I am proud of my bubbly, energetic, passionate personality.

5.       Targets and deadlines are your friends

You need to have goals in life to work towards, and having a timeline to complete them gives you focus. When you have nothing on the horizon, you can begin to feel lost and worthless – it actually makes me miss school and college (sometimes). If you’re feeling unfocused, you just need a new target to work towards, big or little, and you’ll begin to find yourself again.

6.       Don’t compare yourself to others

Everyone is on their own path, learning similar lessons but at completely different times and in completely different ways. Don’t feel like you’re being left behind.

7.       Manners cost nothing

Being kind and selfless automatically gains you respect from others. A simple ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ can transform your interactions with every person you meet for the better. And this world can always do with a bit more kindness.

8.       Life is short

You always regret the things you didn’t do rather than the things you did, so don’t let any opportunities pass you by for the sake of feeling scared. Time passes no matter what you do with your time and you only get one life, so spend your time wisely and live with no regrets.

9.       Everything happens for a reason

There have been so many things I have wished for like a place at a school or a new job that just wasn’t meant to be. It doesn’t mean it won’t ever become a reality, but for now, it wasn’t the right time. You just have to trust that some higher power is in charge, leading you to bigger and better things. Even if you feel like it’s the long way round, enjoy the lessons learned from the journey. And I know there are so many things I would have missed out on, people I wouldn’t have met, or things I wouldn’t have done, if I had got what I wanted originally.

10.   Friends and family are more important than materialistic possessions

No matter where your life takes you, or what your career ends up being, the things that really matter are your relationships with people. Without them, you have no-one to share your success with. People don’t stick around for an infinitive amount of time, so spend as much time as you can with people who mean a lot to you. And ensure that they know they do.

Thank you for spending the time to read this post.

I’ve managed to reach double decades, learning a lot of lessons on the way. But I still have so much more to learn and I can’t wait to get out there to learn it. Here’s to the next decade...