Photo by Social Cut on Unsplash
I get very excited about birthdays, and not just my own because it’s not every day you get a ticket for a 365 day trip around the sun. Yesterday, I turned forty seven. At least I turned 47 on the outside, on the inside I’m forever six and a half. This birthday I took some time to reflect on all the things I’ve learned and then I wrote them all down just so I don’t forget them (because there is a direct correlation between my increasing years and my decreasing brain cells.) So in no particular order, here are my forty seven life lessons, one for every year of life. Bring on the cake!
1. Life is short, eat the cake. Just remember, everything in moderation.
2. It’s really hard to make friends with tofu.
3. Don’t save things for a special occasion because every day is just that, a special occasion.
4. If you love and appreciate someone them, let them know. Some things are not supposed to be secret and this is one of them.
5. Give hugs. They’re free but worth their weight in gold.
6. Life is better with a dog in it.
7. Always choose kind. Also don’t forget to say please and thank you. Manners are so underrated.
8. You can’t choose what happens to you, but you can choose how you respond to it.
9. Good friendships are the ones where time and distance don’t matter. You can always pick up where you left off.
10. There’s (almost) nothing that a bowl of chicken soup can’t fix. Bonus points if there are matzo balls too!
11. You’re never too old to try or start something new.
12. Love people, use things because the opposite never works.
13. You can’t change the people around you, but you can change the people around you.
14. Follow your gut, it’s rarely wrong.
15. There’s no such thing as failing, just learning.
16. Every day may not be good, but there is something good in every day. Some days, you just have to look a little harder to find it.
17. Asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness.
18. Life is richer when you collect experiences, not things.
19. Learn to be present and live in the moment. I learned this important life lesson from a cucumber sandwich.
20. Donate time or money to a cause – sharing is caring.
21. Mornings are better when they involve coffee.
22. Wear sunscreen. Your skin matters.
23. Never go to bed or hang up the phone on an argument.
24. Don’t enter in to a relationship hoping that the person will change. They won’t.
25. Not everyone will like you, but that’s OK. Remember what Dita Von Teese said about peaches.
26. There’s no such thing as being too old to go to Disneyland.
27. Self care is not self indulgence. It’s an essential part of health and happiness.
28. Winnie the Pooh was right. “You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”
29. Dumplings are a food group. And a very delicious food group at that.
30. Water is an acquired taste but definitely one that’s worth acquiring.
31. Travel changes you in the best ways possible.
32. A time spent with a good book is always time well spent.
33. Your health is your wealth. You only get one body, invest in it wisely.
34. Life is too short to spend it doing something that doesn’t make you happy.
35. There are lots of good people inside your computer. You might even end up marrying one of them. (I did.)
36. Don’t compare yourself to others or try to be someone else. Remember you’re you-nique!
37. Make friends with eye cream. Your future self will love you for it.
38. Practice the art of saying no so you can say yes to the things that matter.
39. Listen to your body – no one knows it better than you.
40. You’re not the only one with imposter syndrome.
41. Be grateful because a grateful heart is a happy heart.
42. Exercise makes you feel good and is good for you.
43. You can do anything but you can’t do everything. Priorities, baby!
44. Don’t rely on other people to make you happy. When it comes to happiness, everything you need is inside.
45. Julia Childs was right, a birthday without cake is just a meeting.
46. Getting older is a privilege denied to many so make the most of every trip around the sun.
47. Life really is what you make it. Make it a good one.
Do you love birthdays too? What’s the most important life lesson you’ve learned?
Linking up with Kylie for IBOT
