Next week, I will be 31 years old. This past year of all the years I have lived so far has definitely been the most challenging so far. With all of that experience, I have continued to gain more wisdom and insight through every mountain I have climbed. I am new. I am evolved. I am empowered to be who I was born to be. This picture above is a great metaphor for this. A couple of weeks ago, I hiked through parts of the gorgeous state of Washington. Hiking is a new sport to me, so needless to say, I pushed myself beyond the BEYOND of my comfort zone. It is amazing the things our bodies and minds can do if we just force ourselves to take on the unknown and trust the process a little bit.
I have had a true year of awakening of the mind, body, and spirit. With all of this inspiration, I wanted to do an unconventional post- Something I have never done before, but felt called to do.
Here are 31 things TO-DO and lessons I have learned through my journey of life so far:
- Trust your intuition at all times. Do not doubt it, do not question it. Do not feel bad for it. It could be God speaking.
- Do what feels right. When making any decision, do what aligns with your vision and do what feels right to you. Decisions we make big and small each day have the potential to alter the course of our life. Don’t take that lightly.
- Align yourself with people that will lift you up. Do not settle for anything less than people who care deeply about you. Actions and words should align.
- Friends are the glue that holds you together. Find people who will appreciate your quirks, laugh with you until you cry, and people that love you while you live life together.
- Keep trying to find what moves you. What makes you happy? What makes time pass by gracefully while giving you joy? Do more of that.
- Don’t feel the need to explain yourself to anyone. It’s okay to want people to like you but it’s not okay to constantly put yourself last in an effort to do that.
- Love yourself. Even when it’s hard to do so, love who you are and the skin you’re in. You’ve gone through stuff and you deserve all the love, grace, and acceptance from yourself.
- Be your own advocate. No need to apologize for setting boundaries and saying no. Boundary setting is one of the best practices of self-care you can engage in.
- Be an advocate for others. When something feels off, speak up for others. Stick your neck out for things you believe in. It is hard work, but it’s what we are called to do.
- Read the Bible more. There is wisdom in the word.
- Pray when you’re going through trials and don’t forget to pray and give praise when things are falling into place. God wants to hear it all!
- Be “in the moment more.” Life is best lived when you are present and engaged.
- Work to embrace discomfort. There will be seasons of sorrow and pain. Lean into it and rely on others to help you through when you need it.
- Ask for help. We often do not ask for help enough. We feel like we need to know all the answers or be strong all the time. Let someone else know when you need help carrying your backpack when it gets too heavy.
- Try new things. We get into routines in our life that can make it easy to lose our fire. Try something new and get outside your comfort zone on a semi-regular basis.
- Journal more. Your thoughts. Your worries. Your favorite bible verses. Your crazy, beautiful, and wonderful ideas. Journal it all. It will be a source of therapy, inspiration, and growth.
- Be silly. If you’re silly- embrace it. If you are goofy- show the world. If you’re not- that’s cool, too. Plain and simple- We need more people who are unafraid to reveal their real personalities.
- Judge people less. We never know what someone is going through behind the scenes. Try hard to not judge someone for things that may be happening beyond their control.
- Don’t think you’re a failure. Failing in life doesn’t make you a failure, it means that you are trying and wearing your heart on your sleeve. Keep failing, babe, because that is how learning happens.
- Don’t be afraid to take another path. Is the current path in your life feeling less like you and more like something someone else wants you to do? Give yourself permission to start over, get off the beaten path, and to start a new journey.
- Find peace. Each day life has stressors. Find the peace in any moment you can. Settle your heart and mind. Your emotional health deserves some serious calm.
- Get active. Whether it is hiking, dancing, running, walking, yoga or anything that gets your body moving- do it! We only have one body and we must take care of it while we are here on this earth.
- Be a loyal family member. Be present. Give hugs. Make the phone call. Talk it out. Be there when times get rough. Family is what life is centered around.
- Focus on experiences over material things. Material things will lose their luster in time. Experiences and the people with us will stay in our minds and memories for a lifetime. Remind yourself of what truly matters.
- Know you are worthy. You were chosen for a reason. You were called on Earth for a reason. You were born to do things that only you can do. You are worthy in every single way.
- Share your experiences with others. The more we are vulnerable with those around us, the more we can connect to people and help others who may be going through the same seasons of life as us.
- Tell others how special they are to you. Who are the people in your life that matter to you more than anything? Tell those people as much as you can why they are special, why they matter, and why you love them. Life is short- do it now.
- Forgive people. You don’t necessarily need to tell someone you forgave them, but forgive them in your spirit. Holding onto pain for a lifetime will cause you more pain than it will the other person.
- Live out your life dream. Don’t let the actions of anyone else harden you for the incredible difference you will continue to make in the lives of those around you. Then, if your dream changes- have the courage to pursue that, too.
- Laugh. A lot. Laugh cures a lot of hurts. Laughter soothes the soul. Laugh as much as you can.
- Open your heart to the unexpected. Life is best lived when God is leading, not us. Give up control and embrace the life that God is establishing for you and ahead of you.
What are some of your best and most poignant life lessons? Let me know! Comment below!
