When I was little, like any kid, all I wanted to do was grow up, to get bigger, to be taken seriously. Then, like any young adult, I just wanted to be a kid again, without responsibility, without drama. But lately, as I’ve watched my 25^th birthday (my quarter of a century milestone!) close in on me, I find myself looking forward to the years to come, rather than dreading them. I understand the qualms that come with aging, but as I looked back at the years I’ve already lived, I came to an important realization: If given the chance, I wouldn’t relive a single year of my life so far.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had an amazing life that I am incredibly grateful for, however I’ve recently begun to notice the benefits of growing up, both physically and emotionally. With each passing day I learn something new and I wouldn’t trade that for the world. Sure, some things learned are uncomfortable or difficult, some break my heart or knock me down, but I know that the days to come hold answers and discoveries and growth that I can take with me and keep learning.

So, as I thought about all the birthdays I’ve already had, and all the days in between, I discovered 25 things that the last 25 years have taught me:

1. Never assume you’re having a worse day than anyone else.
2. If you are using two hands to scoop, it’s probably not a serving size. (A truly heartbreaking truth.)
3. Ignore trends and wear/do/sing/love what you want to, as loud and as long as you want to.
4. “What sets us apart can sometimes feel like a burden, and it’s not. A lot of the time, it’s what makes you great.” –Emma Stone
5. Don’t be afraid to push your limits, and don’t let yourself be pressured to ignore them.
6. If given the choice, choose a pretzel bun. Always.
7. Don’t assume you can’t do something, chances are with time and patience, you can.
8. It’s not to cool or cute to pretend you’re less intelligent than you are.
9. Sometimes all you can ask of yourself are small steps forward.
10. Looking someone in the eye can tell you a lot about them, and them a lot about you.
11. You always have more blessings than you think.
12. Juice cleanses aren’t worth it.
13. Trying to spread love and kindness to others while not showing it to yourself is like expecting a tree to grow fruit without watering it.
14. People are going to leave and lie, and cheat and die, and we have to both except those facts, and learn to move past them, stronger and wiser.
15. Trust your own path, even if it strays from those you admire. We all have our own unique destination to reach.
16. Breathe
17. Yes or No questions are not always “simple”.
18. It is better to feel strong than look thin.
19. “Do what you gotta do, so you can do what you wanna do” –Denzel Washington
20. Love can be as strong as hate if we utilize an equal amount of fight to make it heard.
21. It’s not always that great to do what everyone else is doing.
22. Sometimes things are just going to suck, but it’s your choice to let those things ruin your day.
23. Our actions can inspire the good and bad in people, and we must be conscious of both possibilities.
24. Life is hard.
25. Life is beautiful.

Who knows what the next 25 have in store?

Ps- there are about 3 1/2 weeks left in the Quarter of a Century Campaign 🙂

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