23 Things I've Learned in 23 Years

If you hadn't guessed by the title of this post, I am now 23 years of age! To commemorate my birthday I thought that I would write a little post about some significant things that I have learnt about myself and life in general throughout my years of existence on this planet.
Do you wanna know a secret? I actually made a video last year for my 22nd birthday using the same concept but it was cheesy and embarrassing and no longer exists on the internet so I'm afraid you're just going to have to imagine what it must have been like haha.

23 Things I've Learned in 23 Years

1. Finding the positive in everything, even the small things, will help you enjoy life so much more.

2. Bad times don't last forever - they may feel like they will at the time but there honestly always is light at the end of the tunnel.

3. God has a plan for your life and even though it may not always be what you want it to be, it's important to trust that he has your best interest at heart. (This is definitely something that I will have to remind myself of throughout the rest of my life!)

4. Don't be afraid to express your faith - sometimes you will be positively surprised by the reactions you will get from people...but don't be discouraged if the reactions are negative - it's no biggie, be confident in who you are, what you believe and own it.

5. Don't be afraid to be yourself - if people can't accept you for who you are then they aren't people that you're meant to be hanging out with anyway. (This is definitely something that I've learnt over time and it's a tricky one but I've found that I've now reached a point in my life where I really love and accept myself so I'm not going to waste my time by being around people who can't accept me for me...it sounds harsh but it's honestly so freeing).

6. Have something in your life that you love and love it with passion - I don't really mean a person, I mean a hobbie or activity; something that gives you purpose and motivation in life.

7. Everyone is creative - creativity isn't subjective to 'being good at art'.

8. If you pray that you will make friends, God will give you friends...and quickly in my experience!

9. It's not the end of the world if you don't have a solid career plan after university.

10. The best way to start a conversation with someone is to give them a compliment.

11. Houseshares aren't always scary.

12. Autumn is the most amazing season.

13. Don't take family and friends for granted - you have no idea how much time you have left with them.

14. Always wash your make-up off before bed. You won't regret it.

15. Don't be judgemental - you have no idea what someone is going through and alternatively, you wouldn't like being judged yourself.

16. Charity shops are wonderful underated treasure troves.

17. You are a lot stronger than you may realise and can actually do things that take you out of your comfort zone! Celebrating even the smallest of achievements helps to encourage confidence.

18. A little kindness goes a long way.

19. Flavoured teas are actually delicious, they just take a little while to get used to.

20. You don't have to do something just because everyone else is doing it.

21. After an argument or disagreement try to reconcile quickly, even if it means apologising first - life is too short to spend time huffing or sulking.

22. Encourage and build up. Don't discourage and tear down.

23. Always be open minded to learning new things - nothing is wasted.

- S xo