23 Important Things I Have Learned in My 23 Years

Hi lovelies!

I hope you all are doing splendidly! It is a beautiful day here in Nashville and as usual, I am a happy camper. Some of you may know that my birthday is just around the corner (St. Patrick’s Day) and as I approach the big 2-3, it honestly has made me a little nostalgic about my life thus far. I have decided to try channeling that nostalgia into this list of 23 things that I have learned in my 23 years of life…enjoy!

1. Love people hard. At the end of the day, love solely is all that matters. There is truly no such thing as loving too much or too well.
2. Be vulnerable. This goes hand in hand with that last one I think, and it is TOUGH. But I honestly believe that it is so important. I’m learning a lot about what it looks like to let people in, and it’s scary but equally as rewarding.
3. Do one thing a day that makes you happy. For me, it’s ending every work day by immediately putting on my PJ’s and probably 4/7 days a week, air popping some popcorn and eating on the couch while watching Family Feud. Whatever it is for you, DO IT.
4. Serve others. In whatever capacity you’re able to; whether it be monetary or just giving up a little bit of your time to clean the dishes or take out the trash or buying someone a coffee. Look out for opportunities to serve others and act on them as much as you can!
5. Coconut oil is a God-send. Literally, I use coconut oil when I bake as a substitute for butter, for cooking up pancakes every Saturday, I use it every morning to oil pull, use it to wash my face, as a moisturizer, as a hair soak…..the possibilities are endless.
6. Salmonella is no joke. I’m not going to tell you to no longer eat raw cookie dough because that would just be mean….but I would also hate for any of you to have to endure the effects of the sickness; so just promise me you’ll be careful!
7. Work hard but still make time for yourself. I’m a work in progress on this one. I’m really great at encouraging others to take some time to rest but I have never been good at it myself, but I am trying. And it’s a really good thing.
8. Life with a dog is way better than life without a dog.  DUH. 🐶
9. Work to be motivated in life by love, not fear. Again, coming in clutch with the tough things! This is so hard for me, I’m naturally an anxious being and so to remove myself from my anxious mind is not an easy task. But I’m learning to trust Jesus a little more each day, and that truth has helped a ton.
10. Travel a lot. Whether it’s across the world or just down the street, take some time to get away, to see new things and meet new people. You’ll almost always be thankful that you did.
11. Laughter really is the best medicine. I think this statement holds some crazy truth because you really can’t be hurting on the inside if you’re laughing…which is kind of beautiful if you think about it.
12. Not being inconvenienced by things is a lot harder than I was hoping it’d be. For me, it seems that I am inconvenienced by EVERYTHING. And it moreso just annoys me now because perhaps a minor inconvenience that puts me a few steps back is preventing me from getting caught up in something I wasn’t supposed to be a part of. I’m learning to change my perspective on this one…but it’s tough.
13. There are very few things a long run, a full nights sleep, or a good cry won’t fix (or at least help with). Seriously. Next time you are feeling overwhelmed, just try one of these and I promise you’ll feel better.
14.  Learn to accept a compliment. You’re worth every single good thing that someone has to say about you. Why not just say ‘thank you’ instead of disagreeing with the individual trying to compliment you or discounting their statement; it really is that simple!
15. Make your lunch the night before a busy work day. You’ll especially love yourself on this one when you get to wake up an extra 10 minutes later in the morning. 🙂
16. Put together outfits and set out your clothes for the week on Sunday night. Again, it’s all about the extra sleep here!
17. Dating is hard…but when you find the person you’re supposed to be with, it will  feel like a breath of fresh air. I’m not going to say it’s easy; relationships are hard sometimes and require a lot of effort from both people involved…but they shouldn’t require you to devote yourself tirelessly to make them work. And most importantly, they should make you happy!
18. Call your family. Or a good friend, often. As much as your schedule will allow. Investing in the people you love is so important, even if they’re halfway across the country, reach out! You both will be thankful for the catch up time.
19. Know what your strengths are and OWN them! You are the only you in the whole world. Love yourself for who God made you to be and focus on being just that! Don’t worry about being cocky, just know what you bring to the table and don’t be afraid to share that with others.
20. Working in a corporate office won’t kill you, even if you are a creative spirit. I won’t deny that some days it can be tough and the last thing I want to do is pull on another pencil skirt, but I’m making good money, meeting some great people and the only reason I have time to write this blog is because I work this job, so there are some good things that come as a result of it.
21. Don’t grocery shop on Sunday afternoon/evening (especially at Trader Joes). Just trust me on this one. If there is any way at all to avoid this, please do. You’ll thank yourself (and me) later.
22. Water on Wednesdays. My boyfriend’s grandmother taught me this one and I love it. It’s the simplest rule to keep all your pretty plants alive 🙂
23. Surround yourself with people that recognize the good in you. We all know what it’s like to be around people that discourage us and we really shouldn’t. We should find the people that see the goodness in us and encourage it out of us.

Well there you are sweet friends! 23 things I have learned in (almost) the first quarter of my life. Although it is kind of sad to think I’m already 23, I do feel as though I have learned some valuable things; and because of that, I am SO excited to see what the next 23 years (and beyond) have in store for me.

XOXO

-Bri