6.5 Things I learned By 25

Hello beautifuls! I recently turned 25, and wanted to share some thoughts (hopefully constructive) I collected throughout the years. Now of course my experiences are unique to me, but I hope you’re able to relate to some of these as well. Enjoy. 🙂

1. Never say never – Take a jog down memory lane, how many times have you said something like “I would never do that” or “I’ll never accept that” or even “I’ll never date someone who__”, and have gone back on your words? What I find is that the older we are, the more open minded we become. We see more, hear more, and find less and less things unacceptable as years go by. So be open-minded, and think twice before arriving at such conclusive statements and trap yourself in limitations you create yourself.

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2. Polish yourself even when no one’s looking – Preach. I invest effort into the way I look and present myself, no matter the occasion. Although it might be unrealistic that you’ll meet your dream guy while grocery shopping, but you might run into a high school arch-enemy and wished that you showered before coming out. Let’s also not forget, looking good simply makes you feel good, presentable, and confident. Ask yourself – Have you missed any opportunities and amazing moments because you simply felt small, invisible, and not at your best? Go ahead to look your best and feel your best. Life’s full of surprises, be ready when opportunity knocks.

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3. Work hard for what you want – Seems like a no-brainer, but it’s something we all need to be reminded of once in a while (unless you’re naturally aloof and content – which is totally cool and even enviable). People always tell me how smooth sailing my life’s been – from upbringing, to schooling, relationships, career. While I agree that I was born with certain personality traits that favor me tremendously, but without the hours I invested in each and every thing that I do with these favorable traits, I would not have achieved anything at all.

3.5 Start when you’re young – Specifically referring to the college years + career life in 20s. I know, I know, you’re only young once, why should you spend your precious time doing boring stuff like working and studying? Because your older self will thank you for making good use of your youth – it’s a beautiful feeling when hard work pays off, and we all need to experience this early on so that we’re properly motivated to work for what we want. Twenties is when you have the time and energy (and no obligations), so be productive with it.

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4. Surround yourself with the right people – people who you want to be like, who bring you joy, motivate you, and remind you of your ideals. In my teenage years, there was a saying that if you hang out with pretty people, you become prettier as well. Not totally ridiculous – in this case you might not grow prettier, but you’ll dress, talk and even inherit the lifestyle of someone attractive, and eventually this all become part of you and you are attractive. In general, if you hang out with people who are positive, hardworking, and adventurous, you’ll become more positive, hardworking and adventurous. Invest in your relationships and invest wisely, your network is your wealth. So, what are your people choices?

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5. Go out and play – I’ve done poorly in this department, always been happy and comfortable in relationships and felt no need to branch out. Now, I would tell my younger self to pick up a hobby, take lessons, travel, socialize with friends, converse with strangers, anything. Live colorfully, life is yours to reflect back upon when you’re older. Keep point 3 above in mind, but being well-rounded and achieving a balance goes a long long way. Invest your hours wisely, live to the maximum, you learn and grow faster that way. If you want to try something and aren’t limited (i.e.financially, or morally lol), don’t wait, don’t procrastinate, do it now.

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6. Learn to be comfortable with yourself – This is an incredibly attractive quality and needless to say that all things worthwhile don’t come easy (at least not for everyone). Yes, this is confidence, but this isn’t the kind of confidence you feel from getting 100 likes on your Facebook profile picture, but the kind of confidence that persists, even when things aren’t going all that great. Being comfortable with yourself doesn’t mean you’re ignoring your flaws and differences, but instead you realize you can’t please everyone and so you come to terms with these differences. Life’s too short to always be feeling inferior and worried about what others think. And guess where the magic is – when you stop doubting and start believing in yourself, others will too.

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