Yesterday was my 21st birthday. Growing up you always expect to feel different on the big birthdays. But I'm still the same person I was on the 5th of February that I was on my birthday and that I am today. But I'm a "real adult" now. In the eyes of American law, I can do anything now. Well except rent a car. Gotta be 2 for that.
Birthdays haven't really been a big thing for me for a long time. So I didn't do anything for my birthday. I stayed home and watched YouTube and browsed Reddit and studied Wicca. I sat by the window and enjoyed the foggy weather and sipped tea. I enjoyed my birthday. I didn't really have the desire to go out and get a drink or play a slot machine. The only alcohol I want to buy this weekend are some alcohol markers.
But I wanted to celebrate my birthday here. On my blog. The place where I can be myself. I've seen a few people do "x Lessons Learned in x Years" and I decided I wanted to do that this year. So in no particular order here are 21 Lessons I've learned in my 21 years walking the Earth.
1. I need deadlines.
I think the most important thing I've learned about myself in my 21 years has been that I'm a master procrastinator and that I can't really finish anything unless I do it in one sitting or have a deadline. I used to do all my school projects the night before it was due. I work best under pressure.
2. Skincare, skincare, skincare.
Your skin is fragile and needs tender love and care. Get a routine and stick to it damn it! Sorry I need to yell that at myself every once in a while.
3. The sun is evil.
I sunburn easily. Even if I didn't tanning makes your skin dry and promotes wrinkles. No thank you. The sun also hurts my eyes easily... but I think that is because I stare at a screen all day working and it's taking a toll on my eyes. I really need to get some of those blue light protector glasses.
4. It's ok to like being alone.
People always assume if you're alone all the time that you must be lonely but I like it. I work best when I can be alone. I think it's the reason I developed the tendency to stay up all night. I get alone time at night.
5. Mental health is just as important as physical health, and it's ok to ask for help.
I pushed mental health issues down for years. Don't do that. It's very bad for you.
6. Creativity can be a form of therapy.
Creating by painting or drawing or writing or any other way can be a great way to take your mind somewhere else and help your troubles for a little while. It's by no means a fix all but it can be a great companion to therapy sessions and the path to a better mental state.
7. Internet friends are real friends.
You don't need to meet up at the mall or in coffee shops. You can meet up in game lobbies and in twitter threads. If you talk to someone a lot they are a real friend.
8. Know your limits.
A lesson I learned in April 2017. I tried to post a blog post every day for all of April for my blogs 2 year birthday. 18 days in and I was dreading having to write a post. Even though I loved my content it became a chore to do it. It was causing stress and give me a bit of a run down when it came to blogging that I'm still kind of fighting off to this day. Now I don't force myself to write.
I've also learned to practice knowing my limits in other parts of my life. If something is causing me great stress or anxiety I take a look at it and ask myself if it actually needs to be done. If it's really worth the strain on my mental health.
9. Kindness is free.
I think this one is pretty self-explanatory. It doesn't cost you anything to say how are you back to that cashier. Please and thank you are only a few extra symbols to add to your sentence. Pushing yourself to be extroverted enough to compliment that person's shoes or hair might be a bit scary for your if you have social anxiety like me but it could make that person's day.
That being said if some entitled ass acts like a POS they will get no kindness from me.
10. Wheat is evil. Also if you have pain go to a doctor.
I was diagnosed with celiac disease a year ago which means my body attacks itself if I eat wheat, barley or rye. I lived with the symptoms for 5 years before seeing a doctor. And it was only after hearing someone else talk about celiac that I even though my symptoms were something really serious.
GO TO THE DOCTOR IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS! Ignoring them will not make them go away.
11. Period Underwear.
So this may be TMI for some of you but I wanted to share this for all my fellow period havers out there. Go to Target or Walmart or ASDA or KMart or whatever superstore near you and go buy a 6-8 pair pack of cheap cotton underwear. I got a 6 pack at Walmart for like $10 USD.
Period blood can stain and even bleach underwear. Hormones do some weird stuff. I grew very tired of ruining my Victoria Secret underwear very quickly. Those aren't cheap! So I bought a cheap cotton pack at Walmart. They are large, soft cotton, they are a "bikini" style but since I bought a bigger size for boating comfort they fit kind of like a granny panty. But they are comfortable so I don't care. They have stupid patterns and stick out under leggings like a sore thumb but haven't ruined a nice part of underwear in almost 5 years.
12. It's ok to be a vampire/night owl.
This kind of goes with what I was saying about being alone. But my mom would always have a go at me for my sleeping habits. But the older I get the more I realize I like the night, I get alone time, I'm more productive if I work at night rather than the day.
It can be a bit of a pain to be on a night schedule when doctor appointments and such come up but for me, a night owl life is where I'm most comfortable.
As for the vampire thing I partly mean it's ok to sleep during the day and walk the night if that works for you but I also mean that it is perfectly ok to hate that glowing ball of evil in the sky. It's too bright, it makes the outside too hot in the summer and it's so bad for your skin.
13. Always give credit.
Being apart of the blogger community and following a ton of artists has really nailed this one in. No one is going to have a go at you for giving credit where credit is due. The having a go at you comes in when you don't give credit. It's always good to cite sources.
14. Enjoy the little things.
I've written a whole post about the little things I like to take time to enjoy. Adulting is stressful and hard and there are lots of choices to make and responsibilities to have. Take time to enjoy little thinkings that make you smile so you don't go crazy.
15. Pets really do have a positive impact on mental health. (So do plants)
Taking care of something can do wonders for your mind. And the love from a pet can make your heart all warm which is also great for your mental health. I have been in such a better mindset ever since I got Salem, my beautiful kitty.
16. Don't stress too much. Life goes on no matter what.
When something is becoming too much for you it's ok to step away and do something to make yourself feel better. Life will go on and one day a month or 4 or 6 or a year from now you'll look back and see it worked out.
17. You might end up a vastly different person than your parents, and that's ok.
The older I get the more I realize that if my parents weren't my parents then they would not be people I'd associate with. My parents are so different from my sister and me it's kind of shocking. It's a little sad too but I've come to terms with it.
18. You don't have to deal with someone's bullshit.
Plain and simple if being nice isn't getting through to an ass you don't have to take it. We're all human and as much as some of us might try to live as nice as we can there are asses out there and it's ok to toss some of their energy back at them now and then.
19. If you have a passion for a hobby it's never a waste of time.
If you enjoy something don't let anyone tell you are wasting your time. Life is stressful and sometimes really sad. If something makes you happy and you aren't hurting anyone you carry one with your hearts desires.
20. Education doesn't stop at Graduation.
The internet can teach us anything. If there is something you've always wanted to learn fire up google and have at it. The world's knowledge has never been more accessible to everyone than it is now. Continue your education. Never stop learning. There is always something new out there.
21. Karma will kick your ass if you deserve it.
I've witnessed karma dish out what was do first hand. Karma gives no fucks. What you do comes back threefold, good or bad. Karma is only a bitch if you were one first.
That ended up being longer than I expected. But I really enjoyed writing it. What are some life lessons you've learned in your life? Let me know in the comments!
Thanks so much for reading this post! I hope you enjoyed it! Please leave a like if you did, it's much appreciated!
Photo Credit: Photo taken by me with a Canon EOS Rebel T5 with an 18-55mm lens and edited by me in Photoshop.
**This post was not sponsored**