21 Things I've Learned In 21 Years

I honestly cannot believe I am 21! I feel like once I got into High School time sped up as I literally don't know how all those years have gone by already. I do feel like I have used my time wisely though. I decided to get straight into work and climb the career ladder instead of going to uni or anything like that. So now I have a full time job as an Assistant Manager, I learnt to drive and now have a beautiful compact SUV that I am paying for myself, I have been to 14 different countries (most of which are thanks to my parents but I have added a few to the list myself and plan to add a lot more!) and I have been in a loving relationship for coming on 3 years now, so I have to say I am very happy with my first 21 years and what I have achieved so far. Life doesn't come without its obstacles and lessons though, so I thought that I would mark this milestone with 21 things that I have learned from my 21 years. 

1. Make an effort with others. The world doesn't revolve around you. If you don't make an effort whether it is with friends, family, work colleagues or anyone else that enters your life, then they may not bother to stick around and you will need people who are there for you, so make sure you are there for them. 
2. Try new things. How do you know that you don't like something if you haven't tried it? I have discovered so many new places, foods, drinks, styles and brands from giving things a try and going out of my comfort zone, so don't write something off just because it looks weird or smells funny; you might be surprised. 
3. Look before you leap. I love this saying because it is so true. It applies to literally all situations, for example thinking before you say something. Will it upset or offend anyone? Have you tried answering your question yourself before saying it in front of your whole class? Have you thought of what may happen if you do something? Trust me, think everything through. 
4. Don't give up. Just because you have failed something once, twice, three times, or even five times in my case, doesn't mean that it is never going to happen for you. Just step back, take a deep breath and then try again. 
5. It is okay to fail. Going on what I just said about not giving up, it is okay to get knocked down a few times; it is definitely what makes you stronger. Don't feel embarrassed or lose confidence just because something hasn't worked out as it just means you need to try a little harder or get a bit more practice in to get it right next time. 
6. Smile. If you smile at someone, then they will automatically smile at you. Plus, smiling actually helps to increase your mood and it uses less muscles than frowning! There are so many positives to smiling and it helps you to appreciate the little things that every day has to offer. Yes, I know not every day has a happy tone to it but if you can smile at least once, then your body and mind will be thankful for it. 
7. Don't take life too seriously. I am sure you have all heard of YOLO right? If not, then it stands for 'You Only Live Once' and I think that is so true. I have applied it to so many aspects of life now and I am happier for it. I don't mean that I go around committing crimes and being stupid, I just mean that I am only going to live this life once so I am going to do everything that I want to do, enjoy the time that I have and not worry too much about the small things. I could literally do a whole separate post on this alone, so I am not going to ramble too much haha.
8. Avoid toxic relationships. This applies to friendships just as much as any other kind. If you are being peer pressured or you don't feel comfortable or you feel as though you are being made into something you aren't, then you need to get out of that situation right away. You live your life how you want to live it and you need people around you who support that and don't make you feel bad about it or make you feel silly or insecure about it. 
9. If you aren't happy, stop. This links back to my YOLO comment. If you are in a job that you hate or a relationship that isn't going anywhere or you are part of a club that you no longer have any interest in, why are you still doing it? You are only living this life once so why are you going to waste it doing something you don't enjoy? 
10. Work Hard. You are not going to get to where you want to be without hard work. Whether that means studying for a degree or working your way up the career ladder like I am, you need to put in the work to get you there.
11. Be careful of the fake people. In life you will realise who is really there for you and who isn't. Make sure that you learn the difference quickly so that you only have loyal people by your side as you grow up. 
12. Push Yourself. Other people can only push you and encourage you to a certain extent. The rest is up to you. You will learn this throughout High School and when you get into your adult years. If you want to get somewhere or you have a goal, then you need to have the will and the motivation to do a lot if not all of the work yourself as you cannot always rely on others to help or do it for you.
13. Is this worth it? Ask yourself this question if something ever gets you down or brings you to tears, as most of the time, if it has made you feel so low then it definitely isn't worth it. It will help you feel a lot more confident and will help you get thicker skin as they say. 
14. It's the little things. The tiny details in life that make everything worth it. Whether it is something you have done for someone, or something someone has done for you, make sure you don't take the little things for granted. 
15. It is okay to say no. One of my biggest issues when I was younger was being worried about letting people down or thinking that I won't get invited out again etc if I said 'no' once. This isn't the case and once I realised that it just made life so much easier haha.
16. Look after your money. I am one of those people that doesn't really like to spend loads of money on clothes or shoes etc. I actually like to save a lot of the money that I get from work which has meant that I have been able to afford things like nice laptops and cars and holidays and things that I want to spend my money on. As long as you are spending your money on things that you actually want then go for it, you earned that money. But learning how to be good with money is a very useful life skill and that isn't something they teach you at school.
17. Not everyone is the same as you. Sometimes I get wound up because people don't react to things the way I would or they don't do things that I do for them, but then I realise that they aren't me. Not everyone has the same temperament or ideas or thoughts or feelings and you need to be able to accept and respect the differences that you have with people otherwise you won't get anywhere.
18. Don't let anything get in your way. There are always going to be obstacles, you just need to figure out how to get around or over them. If it is you that is stopping yourself, then speak to someone because they may be able to get you over your fear or self doubt or whatever it is that is getting in your way.
19. What other people think shouldn't matter. I have become a lot better at not caring about what other people think recently because it is true, it shouldn't matter. If you want to wear your homemade knitted sweater that people say is too old fashioned then go for it, if you want to wear your favourite rainbow converse that everyone makes fun of then wear them, because those comments are only opinions, they aren't facts. What is fact is that you are not them and you don't have to share the same opinion as them. 
20. Karma is real. Well, from what I have seen anyway. I have seen both good and bad karma and I am a strong believer in it. It has definitely helped me not get into any trouble as I just like to think that the universe will create the balance for me. 
21. Trust your instincts. If you have a funny feeling about something then listen to your gut as it is most likely right because in the back of your mind there is a reason for that feeling so listen to it. 

So that is the end of my list so far. I am sure as I move further into adult life I will be able to add many more things to it but I think that when you are young it is more about finding out who to associate with and lessons are a lot more about other people and finding your feet. It will be interesting to see how they change as I get older.

xx