What I Know At 28 : A Birthday Note

Every year I write a meaningful post about things I have learned that have taught me different lessons in life. Every year I plan for this post, as it is my favorite post to write. This year, I found myself stressing out and deleting everything I had previously written. It's the morning of my birthday, and here I am, thinking and stressing about what to write. 

Instead of thinking, I am just going to wing it, and hope it all makes sense. So here it is, what I have learned in my 28 years on this earth. The good, the bad, the pretty & ugly. If you want to view my posts from previous years, here they are. December 2013, December 2012.

Here goes nothing....

When matters of the heart are concerned, never settle. If you have questions or concerns that aren't addressed then you need to find those answers for yourself.

There will be times in life when everything seems to crumble around you. When getting out of bed is questionable and you just want to give up on everything & everyone. My advice? Keep going, keep pushing through. You have to show up. No one is going to do it for you.

Everyone that comes into your life has a lesson to teach you. I view everyone as a teacher. People come in and out for reasons, and sometimes those reasons are unknown, trust that the universe has a plan. 

As hard as you try, and as nice as you are sometimes people just don't like you. And it just is what it is. You can be the best/nicest person in the whole world, and it still wouldn't matter. Don't blame yourself and always continue to be kind. Some people are just never pleased and that has more to do with them, and less  to do with you.

If your friends or family ever need you. Just be there. Even if you have to sit together in silence, just be there. It means more to them than you will ever know. 

If a guy is into you, he will chase you. Period end of story. He will put in effort if he wants to be in your life. Same goes for any other type of relationship. 

Loneliness builds character. It sucks and hurts, but it molds you to be confident.

Love shouldn't be hard. Of course relationships are "work" but the fundamentals should be there. You should never feel like you can't express yourself or be who you are. You should feel like the best version of yourself when you are with that person. Relationships don't define us, but they should bring out the best in us. When you find the right person you feel it in your bones. You can show them the ugliest parts of you and know that they'll love you regardless. Sometimes love isn't rainbows and butterflies, and that's okay. There are no rules.

You never know what anyone is going through, so treat everyone with kindness and respect. Don't judge anybody.

Appreciate your parents. They are so important , and you'll never realize it until you get older. Those people have been through it all with you. They know who you are inside and out and care about you more than they could ever explain. These two people will ultimately be the people who guide you through your troubles, hug you during your successes and will forever have your back no matter what you do. I am so thankful to have two amazing human beings in my life who continue to be my role models.

Forgiveness doesn't make you weak, in fact I think it makes you stronger.

Life has no blueprint. People get married early, some late and some don't get married at all. Some people have 10 kids, and some have 1. Some people travel the world while others don't leave the state. Don't tell anyone how to live their lives, simply live yours.We all have different paths and no one thinks the same. Always keep an open mind.

A relationship without chemistry is not a relationship at all. If you have to ask yourself whether or not you have chemistry, then you probably don't.

What you put into this world is what you will get in return. Do your best, try your hardest and always show the people in your life how much you care about them. Life is so short, and everything is a blessing. The sooner you realize this the sooner you will wake up feeling like the world is at your fingertips.

Do what you love and the rest will follow. If you put your heart into something, it will pay off.