24 Lessons For 24 Years

In honor of my own 24th birthday, I figured why not share 24 lessons I’ve learned. These 24 things are all ideas that are incredibly prominent and important in my life, and I hope can be the same for you.

Here’s to 24!

1. If you aren’t happy, make a change.

Some of the most valuable words that I have learned and they are from my parents. Your happiness is your personal responsibility. Because of that, it’s up to you to make a change if where you’re at isn’t helping make you happy. Not happy with school- transfer or take some time off. Not happy with your job- start searching for more options. Even with the small things- don’t like the book you’re reading? Start a new one. Life is too short to live it unhappy. Big or small, we each have the power and responsibility to make the changes needed to create and move towards our own happiness.

2. Your “people” will change and that’s okay.

Not everyone has to be in your life forever. I’ve learned that some people truly come into your life to help you through a specific season or to teach you a lesson. Sometimes you both grow and change and you just don’t fit into each other’s lives the way you used to. It’s okay. That doesn’t make it easy or mean that it won’t hurt, but it’s normal.

3. Other people’s opinions of you are none of your business.

This one comes from my girl Rachel Hollis. A solid reminder to focus in on yourself, do the things that make you happy, take the big leap and ignore the opinions other people may have. It’s your life, live it on your terms. How you feel about your life is really all that matters.

4. Confidence is a beautiful, beautiful thing.

Confidence in who you are, what you do, the things you like, the things you create, the ideas you have, the space you occupy, the body you inhabit- all of it is such a beautiful thing. It may not come naturally and it may take some work to get to, but the result of exuding confidence is so incredibly liberating and beautiful.

5. Listen to your parents.

We spend too many years fighting everything our parents say, but the reality is they are right a lot of the time.

6. Drink some water.

Have you had enough water? We hear it so often and it’s because it really is a cure all. Headache? Try drinking some water. Your skin is acting up? Water. You just feel gross? Water. Speaking of water...

7. Water is truly one of the best healers.

Science isn’t my strong suit so I won’t get into the science, but it is proven that water is game changing for our mental state. There’s a reason we choose to vacation by the water after all! I recommend the book Blue Mind by Wallace J Nichols if you are interested in the facts. From a personal standpoint, I know how therapeutic the sound of waves lapping the shore is. I know how calming watching the flow of the ripples on the surface is. I know how the feeling of just floating feels incredibly meditative. It truly is healing.

8. Asking for help doesn’t make you weak.

We all need help sometimes. Whether it’s help figuring out how to manage our finances or help with little errands when schedules get busy, asking for help isn’t a sign of failure. It takes being real with yourself and being able to acknowledge where you may be falling short to ask for help, and if you ask me that makes you pretty damn strong. It can be hard, really really really hard, but it’s worth it. I’ve been asking for some big help recently and it’s hard and scary and uncomfortable, but it’s been worth it.

9. When in doubt, move your body.

Growing up a dancer, movement has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. It wasn’t until I stopped dancing that I realized just how important that consistent movement is. Burning some energy, increased confidence, proud sense of strength, inspiration sparker and a calmer mind- that’s why movement is important. I still get my butt into a dance class occasionally, but now my movement therapy comes in the form of cycling, running, lifting and yoga. It really is an instant mood changer. Find a form of movement you enjoy and do it!

10. Self expression looks different for everyone.

I’ve found that I best express myself through writing and some visual arts, I’m not very good at speaking my feelings aloud. That’s just me though. Self expression is not a one size fits all kind of deal so feel free to play. For some people it’s movement, it’s dancing. For some people it’s speaking or singing. For some people it’s photography or graphic design. Whatever it is embrace it. Express yourself in a way that makes you feel safe, empowered, and beautiful.

11. Just clean up your space already.

I resisted this forever… like literally until a month ago, but a clean space really does make for a clean mind. I read it in personal development books and rolled my eyes when my mom tried to constantly remind me that a clean space would help my mental space. Turns out the books and my mom were right (see I told you parents are usually right). As soon as a little part of my space was clean I wanted to make the rest the same way. It’s calming and with the absence of chaos it turns out I actually can get work done in my bedroom. It was the overwhelm of the clutter that made me not able to be productive in the space. So declutter, organize and feel a little more in control.

12. A few deep breaths and getting a little bit of sunshine are two of the best ways I know to clear your head.

13. The news may seem so bleak and scary, but I promise you there is so much beauty and good out in the world.

Bad things happen everywhere. The news, more often than not, highlights these bad things. Don’t let it discourage you from going out and finding all the good that this world has to offer. Smiles from sweet people whose language is not your own, the people dedicating their lives to helping promote positive change, the unbelievable beauty that Mama Earth give us…get out and go find it. The journey is part of that beauty.

14. Travel alone.

The lessons within this one are plentiful. Traveling alone, without anyone you know, is one of the easiest ways to really get to know yourself. It’s a great way to find confidence and independence in yourself. It’s a great way to help you become your own biggest advocate. Traveling alone isn’t lonely, there’s plenty of opportunities to meet people along the way. So go out, meet new people, see new places, try new foods and learn about yourself. I have found the biggest personal growth during my travels.

15. Brightening other’s days will help brighten your own.

A genuine smile to a stranger, paying someone a compliment, buying coffee for the person behind you, helping you friends move. Helping others, when the intention is purely to help them and brighten their day, will instantly help to brighten yours too.

16. Practice gratitude.

It’s really hard to feel down when you are searching for and acknowledging the things, big and small, to be grateful for. A gratitude practice isn’t the ignorance of the bad in life. It’s not walking around acting like the world is perfect. Instead it’s practicing the ability to find all the things that outweigh the bad. Try starting your day listing 5 things you are grateful for, I promise it’s a game changer in the mindset department.

A gratitude practice isn’t the ignorance of the bad in life. Instead, it’s practicing the ability to find the things that outweigh the bad. Practice gratitude. Mindset work. Morning gratitude practice.

17. Change does not mean failure.

When I dropped out of college and moved home my biggest fear was that I would be seen as a failure. I didn’t come home with a degree or with stories of some great college experience like most people. It took me a long time to come to terms with the fact that I was not a failure for not going back to school. I chose to make a change to better myself, a change in order to live MY life in a way that felt more like ME. Deciding to make a change doesn’t mean you failed where you were, it’s seeing the potential to thrive more under a different circumstance.

18. You can’t always have it all together.

Sometimes you go a few months rocking your 6am workouts 3 days a week and sometimes you realize it’s been at least a week since the last time you broke a sweat. Sometimes you feel like Wonder Woman juggling your work life, your social life and your personal life and other times you’ll feel like everything is happening at once and no matter how hard you try, you can’t keep up. It happens. Give yourself grace. Just remember in the times of chaos that it’s temporary.

19. Your attitude and mindset determine your outcome.

Put out negative thoughts, receive negative back. Project positivity, get positivity back. If you are thinking of the worst possible outcome for a situation, that’s exactly what you’ll get. Say you can and you will. Say you can’t and you won’t.

Say you can and you will, say you can’t and you won’t. Mindset matters. Mindset work. Positive mindset.

20. You are who you surround yourself with.

Similarly to how your mindset determines your outcome, the people who surround yourself with helps shape you. Surround yourself with people who look at the glass half empty and always find something to be upset about? You are going to feed from their negative energy. Surround yourself with positive, motivated people who are constantly striving to grow and change? You will feed off that. Surround yourself with people who challenge you, who inspire you, who make your heart happy. By doing so, you will feel the effects throughout your life.

21. If you don’t ask the answer will always be “no.”

As a people pleaser who doesn’t ever want to be the one to step on anyone’s toes, this one has proven hard for me sometimes, but I’ve learned at the end of the day that if you don’t ask for the thing you want the answer is always going to be “no” so you might as well try.