20 things I’ve learnt in 20 years

Dear friends,

our birthdays are special every year since they mark the number of days we’ve been revolving around the sun on our own,   but I believe some dates may hold more  symbolic weight than others.  I’ve been nineteen for the past 364 days, and turning twenty shouldn’t feel any different, but it does. See, nineteen still implies you’re a teen. Twenty makes you 100% officially a young adult. For most days I still feel like a little child who wants to hide from monsters under the bed,  and one thing I’ve learnt is that it’s okay. It’s okay to be unsure of who you want to be. We were born Tabula rasa, blank slate and it is our job to become something. It takes time, but time is running away from us anyway. Below I would love to present you my list of 20 things I’ve learnt in 20 years.  3…2….1…0!

           1. Sometimes the most beautiful moments happen outside of your perfect scenario.   

          2.  It’s okay to be unsure of your direction and desires – everything  takes time.

          3. People can’t fix your brokenness, but they can ease it.

          4. Lavender is perfect for fighting stress, and anxiety.

           5. Hot showers, tea, and beautiful scents can help when you have a  meltdown.

             6. Learning a foreign language opens a whole new world of   possibilities.

7. Having a gratitude journal makes everything seem better.

             8. Forever is just a word.

             9. Neither success nor failure is final.

             10. If you are your own best friend you’ll never lose.

             11. Youtube is a perfect classroom for learning everything,              especially languages.

            12. “You miss 100% shots you don’t take” is a motto to live by.

            13. No book you’ve ever read is a waste of time. The worst one will teach you how not to write.

           14. If somebody destroys you and chances you give them… you’re  allowed to let go. Even if you love them, even if they are family –          don’t burn out for people who only give a damn about themselves. 

           15. Being humble and kind never goes out of style. 

         16. Becoming better is a non-stop fight. There are no breaks.

         17. At the end of the day, you’re not what people think of you, but what you think about yourself. Don’t be your own enemy.

         18. Hard work is the answer to your prayers.

        19. Appreciate people who love you when you’re not so lovable, and  when you are loveable. They are here to stay.

        20. You can’t plan your life out because you’re a work in progress, not a report. Breathe in, breathe out and adapt to whatever is  coming.

I’ve been alive for 7303 days, but I definitely have to learn more than 7000 things about the world to even say I understand it a bit. That’s okay, too. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Happy birthday to me, and happy birthday to you – we’re doing just fine even when we think we’re not. Breathe in, breathe out… As Kimmy Schmidt says – sometimes you just have to take life 10 seconds at a time.

“I learned a long time ago that a person can stand just about anything for 10 seconds, then you just start on a new 10 seconds. All you’ve got to do is take it 10 seconds at a time.”  – Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Best wishes,

Jessie