This is about a month late but it’s better late than never. For my 26th birthday we were celebrating back in Hawaii which is where I was born and raised. Between the 10 hour flight to and from and seeing my family after almost 3 years I did some reflecting on some of the lessons I have learned in my 26 years of living. I am going to keep this introduction short, so with that said, here are the 26 lessons I’ve learned in 26 years.
- Being an adult is more than what Google populates when you write “how to be an adult”. It’s more than preparing for job interviews, managing your finances, cleaning up after yourself, and being a nice person.
- People need to believe in something/have hope to live life but that’s not always necessary (read Mark Mansons book).
- Marriage/love/relationships is about constantly choosing to be with that person. It’s a CHOICE you have to make all the time – daily, 24/7, nonstop.
- This world is full of options and we can get confused by having so many options but always know what you want and go after it. Even if that thing changes.
- Everyone has a story. You just need to sit and listen to them.
- I have to tie in something Covid related without getting political so let’s go with your health is your actual asset.
- You are not missing out by doing things differently. When your peers drink, party, etc. and you don’t that means you know your personal values and those activities just don’t align with those things. That’s okay. Own up to it.
- Your colleagues are not your friends. You can be nice and friendly with them but they are not your friends. Have friends outside of work.
- The things you “used to do” before getting married are still part of you so go after them. Start doing them again.
- You don’t need to know how to do a certain job in order to get hired for it. If someone in the interview stage believes in you and sees your potential that’s the greatest asset.
- Age is really but a number. You can be a grown woman/man and be a huge baby. At the same token you can be in your early adult years and be mature beyond your years.
- Covid delayed our Armenian wedding and now too much time has passed which makes me think it’s not going to happen. However, having a great marriage is better than having a grand wedding. I want a marriage not a wedding.
- Everyone is going to have an opinion of you and what you do but it’s up to you to set the boundaries. That’s because what people think of you is none of your business.
- Sitting at your desk for 7-10 hours of the day is not normal. Stop feeling guilty for doing the things in your regular life while working. It’s called work life balance/fit.
- As a teen I didn’t suffer from acne but I quickly learned that adult acne is a thing. I’ve been suffering from it for a while now but one thing I learned is it doesn’t define who you are. It’s just acne.
- Sometimes the people that best support you are the ones you don’t know in person and the ones you are “friends” with in person are the ones actually jealous of you.
- Doing is the best way to learn. You can read and watch videos on a topic but until you’re set out and actually do it you won’t fully grasp what you learned.
- Humans are walking contradictions so take things lightly because we are driven by our personal emotions/values.
- You are your number one advocate. If you don’t believe in yourself and speak up for yourself especially in work/your job. Well then no one will.
- Take your PTO. You are not that valued by your company that you can’t take your PTO. I wish I took this advice earlier because I lost so much of my hours when I switched jobs but now we know!
- Create more than you consume. I have always enjoyed creating things and recently my new creation has been my notebooks. I have been creating notebooks it started with cultural notebooks from my Lebanese Armenian background and now I have expanded other things that I can relate in hopes that there are people who relate as well.
- There are no failures. Only lessons. I am a perfectionist so this is one I am still trying to work on but an important one because you can’t take the things that happen to you too harshly.
- Always work your body even if you just walk around. These past two years due to the pandemic we haven’t been moving our body so we gained a little unhealthy weight. We need to just always move our body it is important.
- Document your life. I have been in the social media world and I used to think that social media documenting was like “showing off” but that is soo wrong to think. I have been documenting my life on social media (mainly Instagram) and I have been really enjoying that.
- Count your blessings. Some days can be harder than other days but always try to remember to count your blessings. There is always something to be grateful for in life.
- Keep your relationship within your relationship. It is tempting to share things with your friends, family, and even social media, but there are always biases on both sides. If you share something about your significant other to your family they will always take your side and then build a negative thought of your partner. Always work things out with your partner.
Birthdays can be a great time to reflect on the lessons you’ve learned. You might question your growth, but I guarantee you’ve learned more lessons in your life than you realize. Consider the 26 lessons I’ve learned in 26 years. Can you relate? What have you learned? Life is one big learning experience if you’re open to it. It really is the greatest journey you’ll ever take.